8 ? 
The Ophidium is very like the Eels, but its room xl 
body is more compressed, and the gill-flap is 
formed like the generality of fish, and has a wide 
opening beneath. The rays of their dorsal fin 
are simple. 
The Gymnoti ( Gymnotidce ) have the gill-flap 
covered with a membrane like the eels; but 
this membrane is open behind the pectoral fins. 
These fishes have no dorsal, but a long anal fin. 
In some the body is eel-shaped, and naked, as 
in the Electric Gymnotus ( Gymnotus electricus). 
In the Carapus the body is compressed and 
covered with scales. The Gymnarchus only 
differs from the Carapus in having a long dorsal 
and no anal fin. 
The Morris ('Leptocephcilus ) is very peculiar 
for the exceeding thinness of its body, which 
resembles a riband, and is nearly as transparent 
as glass; its fins are scarcely visible, and its in¬ 
testines only occupy a very narrow line along 
the lower edge of its body. 
The Launces ( Ammodytes ) have elongated 
compressed bodies, covered with scales placed 
in transverse series, with the dorsal, caudal, and 
anal fin separate from each other. The jaws 
are acute and extensile. They bury in the 
sand and live on worms, and are much used as 
a bait. 
The Pipe Fish ( Syngnathida? ) form the next 
group. They have the jaws, and the fibrous, bony 
skeleton 
