Descriptions of Fishes from the Coast of Natal. 53 



MELEAGRIS, ShaW. 



(Spotted Eel.) 



Canines fairly well developed ; teeth on mandibles uniserial, on 

 maxillary and premaxillary biserial, in a single row longitudinally on 

 vomer. Length of head about 4 times in distance between point of 

 snout and vent ; length of tail If to ly 7 ^ times in length of trunk. 

 Eyes small, 21 to 2J diameters from end of snout and situated 

 nearer to it than to angle of mouth ; cleft of mouth about ^ length 

 of head ; mouth cannot be entirely closed ; anterior nasal tube 4- to 

 f vertical diameter of eye ; gill-opening 1 diameters of eye. A row 

 of widely separated open pores on mandibles and maxillary and 3 or 

 4 pores about the nostrils. 



Dorsal low and anteriorly enveloped in skin, commencing a little 

 in advance of gill-opening. 



Colour (of preserved specimens), dark brown above, lighten belly; 

 covered with small white spots smaller than the eye. 



Two specimens, 437 mm. and 435 mm. in length respectively, 

 from Mr. Eomer Eobinson, Natal. 



NUDIVOMER, Gtinth. 



Teeth uniserial on both jaws, anterior ones serrated; a large 

 curved tooth behind the row at symphysis of upper jaw ; no 

 vornerine teeth. Length of head nearly 4 times in distance from 

 point of snout to vent ; tail nearly If- times length of trunk. Eyes 

 small, 2f diameters from point of snout and situated nearer to it 

 than to angle of mouth ; snout of moderate length, about 5| times in 

 length of head ; cleft of mouth 2| times in length of head ; gill- 

 openings equal twice diameter of eye ; nasal tube small, f diameter 

 of eye. 



Dorsal and anal fins well developed, covered with thick skin ; 

 dorsal commences in the vertical of nearly midway between 

 cleft of mouth and gill-opening. Body slender and tapering 

 to tail. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), head white with small brown 

 spots on lower half and vermiculated brown lines on upper, gradu- 

 ally merging a short distance behind the head into brown with 

 numerous white oval spots, sometimes confluent, over the rest of the 

 body and extending through the fins. 



One specimen, 908 mm. in length, from Mr. Eomer Eobinson, 

 Natal. 



