FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 4 



Table 7. — Continued. 



The observations for each species are grouped 

 by order and family in phylogenetic sequence, as 

 listed by Greenwood et al. (1966). Species names 

 generally are those used by Gosline and Brock 

 (1960), except where more recent taxonomic 

 studies indicate change. All sizes given are stan- 

 dard length. For most species, the number of 

 specimens collected is followed by, in parenthesis, 

 their mean size and the range in their sizes. All 

 species accounts consider individuals showing 

 morphology and behavior of adults. 



Order Anguilliformes 



Family Muraenidae: moray eels 



Most Hawaiian eels belong to this family, which 

 comprises the moray eels, or puhi, as Hawaiians 

 call them (Gosline and Brock, 1960). Morays are 

 denizens of crevices in the reefs, and because most 

 remain secreted under cover, their great abun- 

 dance cannot be appreciated by a casual observer. 

 Nevertheless, the morays include more species (32 

 reported) on Hawaiian reefs than any other family 

 of fishes, except perhaps the wrasse family Lab- 

 ridae (Gosline and Brock, 1960). Most Hawaiian 

 morays do not grow to more than about 60 cm long, 

 although a few may attain a length of about 2 m 

 (Gosline and Brock, 1960). Most of them remain 

 secreted in reef crevices, but the five species con- 



sidered below are examples of those that are often 

 exposed on the reef top. 



Gijmnothorax meleagris (Shaw and Nodder) 

 — spotted moray, puhi 'oni'o 



This medium-sized eel characteristically pro- 

 trudes its head from crevices during the day (Fig- 

 ure 8), and thus is the moray most often in view on 

 the reef; however, I seldom saw it after dark. Of 

 the nine specimens collected, the stomachs of five 

 were empty, although three of these contained 

 unidentified fragments at the posterior end of 

 their intestines. Of the four with prey in their 

 stomachs, one (455 mm) taken during midmorn- 

 ing contained a fresh damselfish, Abudefduf im- 

 paripennis (40 mm) that appeared to have been 

 recently captured. Two others with full stomachs 

 were collected during late afternoon: one (321 

 mm) contained a moderately digested xanthid 

 crab, whereas the other (121 mm) contained a 

 well-digested fish. On the other hand, the fourth 

 specimen (361 mm) contained a moderately di- 

 gested xanthid crab that appeared to have been in 

 the eel's stomach at least several hours when it 

 was collected during morning twilight. 



CONCLUSION. — Gymnothorax meleagris 

 captures small fishes and crustaceans by day and 

 probably also at night. 



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