Hawaiian Fishes 



61 



fins. They all have a thick, leathery skin which is variously colored. Some 

 of the species are uniform in color, while others are mottled or speckled. 

 They are reported to reach a length of ten feet. The jaws are equipped 

 with strong muscles which form a hump on the top of the head and the 

 mouth contains many, strong, sharp teeth. 



The moray eels are all coastal fishes and live about the coral reefs. 

 They spend most of their time partially hidden in holes in the rocks with 

 only their heads showing. They are a vicious and pugnacious lot and 

 reach out or come out to capture anything which appears to be food. 



The flesh is edible and appears on the markets. 



The group is a large one and contains more than 120 species most 

 of which are American. Of this family more than eighteen species are 

 known from Hawaiian waters. 



Zebra Moray 

 35-1 Echidna zebra (Shaw) 



Drawn from Jordan & Evermann 



The body of this eel is reddish brown in color and is marked with 

 from fifty-five to eighty-three vertical white rings. These rings encircle 

 the body and may be either clear or indistinct. This eel will reach a length 

 of forty-five inches. It is found from East Africa to the East Indies, in the 

 Philippines, the Society Islands, and in the Hawaiian Islands. 



Puhi Leihala 



35-2 Echidna polyzona (Richardson) 

 The body of this eel is usually marked by twenty-five to twenty-nine 

 broad, reddish bands encircling the body, although in some specimens 

 the bands may not be visible. The body is compressed laterally and the 



