81 



Length of head 3| in the distance between the end of the snout 

 and the vent ; tail slightly longer than the trunk. Eyes diameter 

 about half the length of the snout ; situated slightly nearer to angle 

 of mouth than to end of snout. Length of cleft of rnouth about 

 2| in the length of the head. Snout pointed ; anterior nasal tubes 

 about half as long as the orbit. Gill-opening not quite so wide as 

 the eye. Teeth in old examples in one row, but in the young 

 usually in two rows in both jaws. Coloui a light ground, blotched 

 and marked all over with brown, or of a general brownish black. 



Hah. Recorded from Tranquebar (Bl. Schn.), Indian Ocean, 

 Australia, and tropical parts of the Atlantic. 



86. (14.) Murama macrura. (Fig. 32.) 



Murnena macrurus, Bleeker, Batavia, Nat. Tijdsch. vii, p. 324 ; Day, 

 fish. India, p. 072, pi. clxx, fig. 5 (see synon.). 



Seram pambu, Tamil. 



Length of head from snout to gill-opening one fourth of the 

 distance between the end of the snout and the vent ; tail from 1$ 

 to twice as long as the trunk. Eyes situated in the front half of 



Fig. 32. Munena, macrura and upper teeth. 



the distance between the angle of the mouth and the end of the 

 snout, about 2 diameters from end of snout. Teeth pointed, those 

 in the maxilla and mandible in two rows : canines badly developed. 

 Fins the dorsal anteriorly is low and densely enveloped in skin ; 

 it commences midway between the gape of the mouth and the gill- 

 opening. Colour uniform brown, the fins tinged with black. 



The variety Imyisrima, Kaup, has the body comparatively longer 

 than in macrura. 



Hob. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. It attains upwards 

 of 10 feet in length. 



87. (15.) Muraena thyrsoidea. 



Muraena thyrsoidea, Ilidiardson, Voy. Sulphni; Ich. p. Ill, pi. xlcx, 

 tig. 1 ; Day, Fisfi. India, p. 672, pi. clxxii, tig. 3 (see synon.). 



