Identifier: fishes00jord (
find matches)Title:
FishesYear:
1907 (
1900s)Authors:
Jordan, David Starr, 1851-1931Subjects:
FishesPublisher:
New York, H. Holt and CompanyContributing Library:
Smithsonian LibrariesDigitizing Sponsor:
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view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.Text Appearing Before Image:Fin. 272.—Pug-nosed Eel, Simenchelys parasiticus Gill. Sable island Hank. Madeira. Another family possessing rudimentary scales is thatof the SynaphobranchidcE, slender eels of the ocean depths, widelydistributed. In these forms the gill-openings are confluent.Synapliobranchus pinnatiis is the best-known species.Text Appearing After Image:Fig. 273.—Synaphobranchus pinnalus (Gronow). Le Have Bank. Conger-eels. — The Leptocephalidcc, or conger-eels, are verysimilar to the fresh-water eels, but are without scales and witha somewhat different mouth, the dorsal beginning nearer to thehead. The principal genus is Lcptocephalns, including the commonconger-eel (Leptocephalus conger) of eastern America and Europeand numerous very similar species in the troi:)ics of both con-tinents. These fishes are strictly marine and, reaching thelength of five or six feet, are much valued as food. The eggsare much larger than those of the eel and are produced in greatnumbers, so that the female almost bursts with their numbers.Dr. Hermes calculated that 3,300,000 were laid by one femalein an aquarium. These eggs hatch out into transparent band-like larva, withvery small heads formerly known as Leptocephalus, an ancientname which is now taken for the genus of congers, having The Apodes or Eel-like Fishes 3^9 been first used for the larvaNote About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.