In the reference table and in the following sections the toxicity is 

 classified by deir^ees of virulence. For example, where one slice (about 

 200 gr) of flesh is fatal it is called violently toxic. Those resulting 

 in survival with strong impairment of locomotion and inability to stand 

 up are classed as stronorly toxic, "ifhere a mild decree of sensory and 

 locomotory impairment results, the toxicity is characterized as mild, and 

 where the species may be eaten with only the possibility of even milder 

 symptoms, it is called slif»htly toxic. This differs somewhat from the 

 classification used by Fukuda and Matsuo,* 



Page 19 Section 2 Genus Gymnothorax 



Poisonous f^shfts nf the Order Apodes are restricted to the genua 

 Gymnothorax of the family Vuraenidae; at least none are at present known 

 In the other families and f^enera of the Order. 



Several species belonging to the genus Gymnothorax are found in Japan. 

 They prefer warm seas, and the Japanese species are found in Central and 

 Southern Japan, bein,g rare and of exceedingly few species in the North, 

 In the South Seas they are abundant, with ji large number of species. They 

 are especially plentiful in coral reef areas where they lie in the reef 

 during the day and come out to feed at night. Although they do not, of 

 their own accord, attack aggressively during the day, if in diving one puts 

 a hand or foot directly in front of their hiding places, they will bite. 

 Because of the severity of their bite most members of this genus are re- 

 garded as venomous fish, but no poison glands have been found near their 

 teeth and consequently they should be considered simply as biting fish. 

 Their teeth are sharp and are hinged at the roots so that although they can 

 lie flat within the mouth, they cannot be bent fonjard at more than a right 

 angle to their base,. For this reason they are vMell-designed for directing 

 food into the mouth i A finger or other moraber taken into the eel's mouth 

 cannot be drawn out, and if it is \vithdrawn forcibly, it is maa^led and 

 sliced. Teeth of this type are called hinged teeth and are a taxonomic 

 character of the genus. 



Those found in Japan and called utsubo . nada . namada . gidako . and so 

 forth are mostly the utsubo , scientific name G ymnothorspc kidako .Temminck 

 and Schlegel (Fig, 7). There are several other species. The flesh of the 

 utsubo is despised in some localities, but in others it is prized and is 

 eaten as a staple article of diet without there having yet been a case of 

 poisoning reported. 



In the South Sea islands, particularly in the Marshalls, the species 

 of this genus are numerous, and they are classified by the natives under 

 two different names, dreb (also written leb or deb) and ma.1. The former 

 designates the comparatively dark-colored species, the latter is applied 

 to the lighter ones. According to the natives, the dreb is poisonous, but 

 the maj, is edible and is in fact used for food. At Saipan,also, the ones 



•Tokushi Fukuda: Prevention and cure of tetraodont poisoning, in 

 Supplementary !!edlcal Lectures ( Hoshu Irraku Koza) , p. 3. Kanahara Shcten pub. 



21 



