-L38 The Philippine Journal of Science 



fort the eyes vary from 6.6 (in young) to 13.5 in the head 1.3 to 

 2 in ^^heTnteroTbital space, and 1.1 to 2.5 in the B-ut ; the gape 

 2 4 to 4 in the head. There is also considerable variation in the 

 number of teeth, the length and shape of the vomerine band and 

 the degree to wnich the dental bands taper. The location of the 

 origt of the dorsal likewise varies, but it is always nearer the 

 anus than the gill opening and the distance between the origin 

 of the dorsal and of the anal is about equal to the length of the 

 head or a very little more or less. 



The synonymy cited above does not include all grouped under 

 AnguiUa celebesensis by Weber and Beaufort, inasmuch as 

 the original descriptions are often incomplete, contradictory, 

 and confusing, and while their arrangement ™ay be correct tiie 

 type material should be examined in order to settle the patter 

 Myspecimen is much more robust and has a natter profile than 

 the figure given by Weber and Beaufort, but it agrees almost 

 exactly in dentition with their figure 101. > 



This species is abundant in Borneo, Celebes, New Guinea, and 

 the smaller islands grouped about them, and in the South Sea 

 Islands, where it reaches a gigantic size. It is a food fish ot 

 considerable importance wherever found. 

 AnguiUa australis Richardson. 



AnguiUa australis Richardson, Proc. Zool. Soc. London (1841) 22. 

 Murxna sidat Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 10, pi. 3, fag. •>• 

 Mur*na moa Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 11, pi. 4, fig- jL 

 Murxna australis Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 12, pi. i, 



mIt'^u halmaherensis Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 12, 

 AnguiUa I'icolor and virescens Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 8 



AnguiUa sidat and australis Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 8 



(1870) 36; Jordan and Seale, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fisheries 25 (1905) 



(1906) 192. An , _ 



AnguiUa bicolor Day, Fishes of India (1878-88) 660, pi. 148, fig. 2. 



Depth 13.6 to 17 in length, head 7.2 to 8.5 and 2 to 2.25 in 



trunk; eye small, 11 to 11.7 in head in my specimens (8 to 10 



according to Weber and Beaufort), 2 in snout (1.2 to 2.1, 



Weber and Beaufort), and 2.25 in interorbital space (1.5 to 



2.8, Weber and Beaufort) ; snout a sixth or seventh wider at 



its base than its length, which is 5.5 in head (6 to 8, Weber and 



Beaufort) ; mouth reaches beyond eye, its gape from 3.28 to 4 



in length of head; pectorals with fourteen rays, 3.4 in head 



(2f to 3.5, Weber and Beaufort) ; tail exceeds head and trunk 



