517 
Family S YN A P HOBR ANC HI DAE 
Body eel shaped. Head conic. Snout produced. Eye over 
middle of mouth cleft. Teeth in narrow bands or uniserial, 
rather small, conic, less numerous in young, present in jaws 
and on vomer. Tongue small. Mucous membrane of mouth black. 
Hind nostril before eye. Gill openings well developed, inferior, 
very close together, united into an oval groove below pectoral 
bases, separated by considerable isthmus within. Branchial 
» 
openings in pharynx wide slits. Stomach very distensible. Mus¬ 
cular and osseus systems well developed. Skin with rudimentary 
embedded scales, lanceolate and placed at right angles or small, 
rounded and embedded in skin. Lateral line present* Vertical 
fins confluent around tail. Dorsal shorter than anal, begins 
close behind pectorals or behind vent, lower than anal. Pector¬ 
al well developed. 
Deep sea eels. 
Analysis of genera 
a-*-. Gill openings confluent. 
a . Gill openings separate. Diastobranchus. 
