343 



low ridge, slightly more elevated near small, pointed caudal, 

 with which they are united. Pectorals absent or only rudimen- 

 tary in very large specimens. Teeth conical, pointed, recurved, 

 uniserial, the anterior stouter and fanglike. Pearl coloured, 

 back darker. Length 950 mm. 



Habitat: Java; Celebes (Menado); Ceram; Timor; Waigeu 

 (Saonek Island!); Dutch North New Guinea (different localities 

 at Humboldt Bay!). Thursday Island!; Pacific Islands; Japan. 



Lives on shore buried in sand, gravel and mud and prefers 

 localities near mouth of rivers and brooks. 



ii. Fam. MURAENIDAE. 



Body scaleless, elongate or very elongate, rounded or more 

 or less compressed. Anus far behind gillopenings, in, before 

 or behind middle of length. Dorsal and anal confluent with 

 caudal, generally covered by thick skin. They are well developed, 

 very low or even reduced to a rudiment near the caudal, 

 with which they are confluent. Pectorals absent. Snout short 

 and rounded or pointed, never much projecting beyond lower 

 jaw. Cleft of mouth reaching behind eye, generally conside- 

 rably so, often not closing completely. Anterior nostrils in a 

 tube near tip of snout. In the genus Rhinomuraena this tube 

 ends as a foliaceous appendage. Posterior nostrils a rounded 

 opening on top of head, before or above eye, sometimes 

 provided with an elevated rim or a tube. Tongue not free. 

 Teeth in one or more series in jaws, on intermaxillary plate and 

 on vomer. They are granular, molarlike, conical or compressed 

 and pointed, in the last case often fanglike and depressible. 

 Gillopenings small, more or less horizontal slits or rounded 

 openings, situated in the middle of the height of the body or 

 nearer to the ventral or dorsal profile, but always widely 

 separated from each other. Branchial openings in pharynx are 

 narrow slits. 



Distribution: Marine, on reefs and near shore of tropical 

 and temperate seas. 



Key to the indo-australian genera of Muraenidae. 



I. At least some of the teeth granular or molarlike. . Echidna p. 344. 

 II. None of the teeth granular or molarlike. 



