iì: F a m i l y .— E C H E N E ID ID ® .
E c h e n e i s R e m o r a . L in n .
Mr. Darwin took a small specimen of this fish from off a shark in the Atlan
tie Ocean, near St. Paul’s Rocks. It is not four inches long. It has einhteeii
pairs of lamm® on the head ; and a rough disk on the middle of the toimue ••
caudal lunate.
F a m i l y .— A N G U IL L ID ® .
A n g u i l l a a u s t r a l i s . R ichards.
Aiiguillo australis, Blcharismi, Prooeed. otZool. Soc. 1841. p. 22.
F o i» ,.-V c ry similar to the A. latirostris, Yarr., but the upper jaw rather shorter and broader, making
the gape, which reaches to a vertical line from the posterior part o f the orbit, wider. Teeth
rather stronger. Dorsal commencing considerably beyond the first third, and not much in
advance of the middle point, o f the entire len gth; much less elevated than in the A . latirostris.
Its height scarcely exceeding one-fifth of the depth, which last is about one-seventeenth of the
entire length. V ent a httle posterior to the commencement o f the dorsal.
'The distance from the end of the snout to the insertion o f the pectorals is rather less than
one-eighth of the entire length: the form o f the pectorals is lanceolate. The tail is rounded
much as in the A. latirostris.
Length (e n tire )................................................................................¡"j
From end of snout to commencement of dorsal 7 G
From the same to insertion of pectoral . . . . 2 2
From the same to vent . . . . 7 9
C o l o u r— (Jn spirits.) Appears similar to that of the common eel.
H abitat, New Zealand.
The above eel was procured by Mr. Darwin in fresh water in the month of
December, in the B ay of Islands, New Zealand. It so nearly accords witli tlie
A . australis of Dr. Richardson from Van Dieman’s Land, that I can hardly suppose
it to be a distinct species. The vent, however, would seem to be a trifle
backwarder, and the body deeper in proportion to its length. Without seeing
more specimens, it is impossible to say what importance is to he attached to these
points of discrepancy.
• I notice this circnmstence, because Mr. Lowe, in the “ Proceedings of the Zoological Soeiefy,’’ (1830, p. 89.)
has bnofly descnbed two species ot this fish, which he calls M. Bsmora and E. pallida respectively, the fotmet
having the tongue snmuh, and the latter rough in the middle, besides other diffcrenoos.
The above specimen obtained by jVIr. Darwin, as well as two others in the Museum ot the Cambridge Philosophical
Society, have the tongue rough; though in their other characters, especially colour, they would seem
to be Mr. Lowe’s Beniora. Cuvier, in his “ Kegne Animal,” appears to consider the rough tongue as characteristic
of the whole genus.
C o n g e r p u n c t u s . Jen.
C. lateribus fa sciis transversis fuscescenti-rubris, interstitiis angustis griseis : rostro
brevi, obtuso ; m axillis subæqualihus : pinnà dorsali initium supra pectoralem
capienti: cute corporis puncturis parvis creberrimi aggregatis impressi.
F o rm .— Body much compressed, except at the anterior extremity. D epth less than one-eleventh of
the entire length. H ead contained about seven and a half times in the same. Snout short
and rounded. Jaw s nearly equal, the upper scarcely longer than the lower. Gape scarcely
reaching beyond a vertical from the anterior part of the eye. T eeth velutine. A row of very
conspicuous pores round the edges of both jaws. The whole body, but not the head, thickly
studded all over with small pores, much crowded, and appearing like pin-holes.
The pectorals are rather more than half the length of the head. T he dorsal commences
immediately above them, and has a moderate elevation of about one-third of the depth. The
vent is a little posterior to the termination of the first third ot the length, and the anal is
immediately behind it. T he dorsal and anal unite to form a moderately pointed caudal
Length 3 inc. 3 lines.
C o l o u r — ( /» spirits.) Sides very regularly banded with fourteen or fifteen transverse reddish
brown fasciæ : the fasciæ extend on to the dorsal fin, and are much broader than the intervening
spaces. All the under part of the head, belly as far as the vent, an irregular patch on
the cheeks, and the spaces between the bands on the sides, yellowish.
H abitat, Tierra del Fuego.
This appears to be a new’ species. The individual described above is quite
small, and stated in Mr. Darwin's notes to be the young of another and larger
specimen whicli he also captured, but of which he does not mention the exact
size, and which unfortunately does not appear in his collection. He has, however,
mentioned the colours, which appear similar to those given above, and are
as follows “ Sides with transverse bars of chocolate and brownish-red, separated
by narrow grey spaces.” Whether the form and proportions of the adult
agree exactly with those of the young as above detailed must be left for future
observers to determine. The colours, however, appear well to characterize the
species, aided hy the minute punctures with which the whole body is covered.
This species was taken hy Mr. Darwin at the roots of fiicus, at the east
entrance of Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego. The larger specimen is said to
have been very active.
1. M u r e n a l e n t i g i n o s a . Jexi.
31. pnrpw ascenti-fusca ; maculis circularibus, parvis, Jlavis : capite et rosii'o valde
compressis ; fro n te declivi : m axillis subelongatis, angustis, cequalibus, acutis ;
dentibtis acutis, in m axillà superiore anticis uni- lateralibus bi-sex-iatis ; ixi infex'iore
I