6. Shiroutaubo (Plate 2, Fig. 6) 



Scientific name - Gyinnothorax thyrsoideus (Richardson) 

 OTarshallese) 



Local name - ma/ 



Distribution - Burma, E. Indies, South Seas, W, Australia, Hawaii. 

 Morphological characteristics - Coniform teeth like the preceding species 

 but differs in havlnf? a double rather than a sln/»lB row of teeth in the 

 upper Jaw, Ground color brownish with' minute spots scattered over the 

 whole body. Body len?»th loaches 70 cm, a small size for a moray. 



Tcodcity . Not tested, Jaluit natives do not distinc^uish it from 

 the two foregoin/» species and say that it is .iust as nonpoisonous as they 

 are. 



[Page 26J Section 3 Genus Sphyraena 



The genus Sphyraena of the family Sphyraenidae, Order Acanthopterygi, 

 includes many useful edible fishes. 



The sphyraenids of Japan such as the akakamasu ( Sphyraena pinf^uis ). 

 the aokamasa (S_. nigriplnais ) and others are generally prized as delicious 

 edible fish, and we have heard of no case, of poisoning attributed to them. 



In the tropical and subtropical areas of America the sphyraenids are 

 called barracuda, and since they attain a large size, they are well known 

 as food and game fish. The species are Sphyraena picuda . S, becuna . S, 

 barrac uda, as well as others, and it has long been known that in America 

 they sometimes cause poisoning. There are various theories about this, 

 one being that they are only poisonous during the annual spawning season. 

 At the island of St, Domingo, they are supposed to be poisonous from llay 

 to October. Poey* has stated that in Cuba only old fish of 3 pounds 

 weight and over are poisonous. Giinther** has stated that the barracuda is 

 poisonous only when it is feeding on poisonous sardines. 



Of the two species of poisonous sphyraenids of the South Seas known 

 to the author, one is also found in American waters. This is S. picuda , 

 which has previously been known to be poisonous, and it is worthy of note 

 as an evidence of the fact that among the poisonous fishes are to be 

 found some widely distributed species. 



1. DokvJcamasu (Plate 3 figure 8) 



Scientific name - Sphyraena picuda Rloch & Schneider 



Local names - karaasu, kamasa . shiklrukamasa (Japanese), ,1u.1ukob ('larshallese) 

 Distribution - Indian Ocean, tropical Pacific, America, tropical and sub- 

 tropical Atlantic coast. 



TTorphological characteristics - Dorsal V, 9? and II, 7. Scales in lateral 

 line 80. ;!outh extends to a point vertically below anterior edge of the 



•''Poey: Ciguatera, "emorla sobre la enfermedad. Report fislco-nat . 

 de la Isla de Cuba , II p. 1-24. 1867 (from Pawlowsky) 



fr^tfunther:- wandbuch der lehthvoloffle , '.71en, 1886. 



25 



