461 
Family DERICHTHYIDAE 
Body elongated, slender sometimes with neck like con¬ 
striction between head and pectoral fins. Head oblong, oval. 
Snout short. Eye large. Mouth cleft little inclined, extends 
behind eyes. Teeth conic, in bands in jaws and on vomer. 
Lips moderate. Tongue moderate. Gill openings inferior, 
short horizontal slits before pectoral. Lateral line axial. 
Dorsal anal and caudal confluent. Pectorals short or long, 
below middle in body depth. 
Bathypelagic. Small plain colored eels with small re¬ 
stricted gill openings and placed inferiorly. 
Analysis of genera. 
a 1 . Pectoral long; dorsal origin midway between 
middle of eye and vent; pharynx with neck 
•- 
like constriction. 
2 
a". Pectoral short, counded; dorsal origin but 
little before anal origin; pharynx not 
contracted. 
Bathyenchelys. 
