THE FISHES OF POETO EIOO. 
71 
Genus 11. MTJRJENESOX McClelland. 
Body robust. Dorsal and anal fins well developed, dorsal beginning nearly above gill-opening. 
Mouth large, teeth in jaws in several series, those of one series enlarged and depressed, forming long 
canines in front; vomer with several long series of teeth, the middle one of strong canines. 
This genus contains numerous species, large, conger-like eels, some of which are found in all warm 
seas. They are remarkable for the strong armature of the vomer. One species known from Porto 
Eico. 
13. Mursenesox savanna (Cuvier). 
Median series of teeth on vomer distinctly tricuspidate in the young, becoming entire with age, 
with nearly even surface; pectorals as long as maxillary, 2.66 in head; eye 2 in snout, which is 4.5 in 
head; dorsal inserted over gill-opening. 
Brown above, silvery below; dorsal and anal edged with black. 
Cuba to Rio Janeiro, not common; occasional in the Mediterranean Sea. Not obtained by us in 
Porto Rico, but included on authority of Poey. 
Mursena savanna Cuvier, R£gne Animal, ed. 2, vol. 2, 350, 1829, Martinique. 
Conger brasiliensis Ranzani, Nov. Spec. Pise. Diss. Prima, IV, 17, pi. 13, fig. 1, 1838, Brazil. 
Congrus curvidens Richardson, Voy. Erebus and Terror, 111, 1844, no locality given. 
Cynoponticusferox Costa, Fauna Napoli, Pesc., pi. 28, 1854, Naples. 
Conger limbatus Castlenau, Anim. Am. Sud, 83, pi. 43, fig. 3, 1855, Rio Janeiro. 
Mursenesox savanna, Poey, Fauna Puerto-Riquena, 344, 1881; Stahl, 1. c., 166, 1883; Jordan & Evermann, 1. c., 360, 1896. 
Family XI. MORINGUID/E. The Whip Eels. 
Excessively elongate eels, with the abdominal cavity forming two-thirds of the length (the anus 
opening about the commencement of the last third) and the heart far behind gills. Body scaleless; 
cylindrical, with the trunk much longer than the tail; pectorals none or small; vertical fins but little 
developed, limited to the tail; posterior nostril in front of small eye; cleft of mouth narrow; teeth 
uniserial; gill-opening rather narrow, inferior. 
Genus 13. APHTHALMICHTHYS Kaup. 
Characters of the genus included above. 
14. Aphthalmichthys caribbeus Gill & Smith. 
Body exceedingly long and slender, the trunk of uniform depth throughout and not compressed, 
post-anal part of body slightly compressed. Head long, not conspicuously wider than body, its length 
contained 13 times in total length of fish, nearly 9 times in distance between snout and vent, and 4 
times in tail. Anterior nostrils large and tubular, at end of snout; posterior nostrils large, immediately 
in front of eye. Length of snout one-seventh that of head. Gape equal to depth of body, about one- 
fourth length of head extending considerably beyond eye. Lower jaw projecting. Teeth rather large, 
canine, retrorse, uniserial, a single row of small teeth on vomer. Eye very small and rudimentary, 
little larger than the posterior nostril, and contained over 20 times in length of head and 3 times in 
snout. Interorbital narrow, about half length of snout. Depth of body contained 54 times in total 
length, 4.2 times in head. About the length of the head behind vent, a narrow, shallow groove extends 
backward on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces; in this groove the dorsal and anal fins exist as low 
ridges, and are entirely undeveloped until about length of head from end of body; they then become 
less than half a millimeter in height and are confluent around the blunt tail. The pectoral is a mere 
rudiment lying on the upper posterior edge of the gill-slit and is less than half the length of the latter. 
The branchial openings are nearly vertical slits, about twice length of eye, and separated from each 
other by a space equal to 1.5 times their length. The ventral opening is situated a little more than 
two-thirds the distance from snout to end of tail. A series of large circular pores along lateral line. 
Color in life, a uniform grayish-olive, without markings. The type, 270 mm. long, collected 
among coral ( Pontes ) at San Geronimo, Porto Rico, by Mr. George M. Gray. 
