•j^g The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



while the Sambali seem to have but the one word, taleric, which 

 they apply to eels of the most diverse appearance. 



Key to the species of Murxnesox. 

 a\ Median canines with distinct basal lobes both front and back; outer row 



of teeth in mandibles erect M. cinereus. 



a*. Median canines with never more than an indication of basal lobes; at 

 least part of outer row of mandibulary teeth pointed outward. 



M. talabon. 

 : cinereus (Forskal) . Plate 10, fig. 1. 



ForskAl, Descript. Anim. (1775) pp. X, 22. 

 reus Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 8 (1870) 46; 

 Weber and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 (1916) 253, fig. 

 254. 



: singapurensis Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 25, 

 pi. 7, fig. 2. 



Depth 17 to 22 in total length (in our specimens about 19.5 

 and 21.5), the strongly compressed head 6 to 7; the large elong- 

 ate eye 8 to 10 in head and 2 to 4 in snout ; mouth very large, 

 about 2i times in head; teeth in upper jaw in three rows, those 

 in outer row very small, second row much larger, and inner 

 row curved and separated by a toothless area from the other 

 two; intermaxillary plate with five large canines (eight or ten, 

 Weber and Beaufort), followed by a row extending down vomer 

 composed of compressed canine teeth with a basal lobe in front 

 and behind, the posterior teeth very large; a row of much 

 smaller teeth on each side of median row; in some specimens 

 they are so small as to be barely visible; in lower jaw an outer 

 row of small, erect teeth, a middle row of large, compressed 

 teeth, and posteriorly a partial or irregular row of small teeth ; 

 the middle row of each side ends anteriorly in one or two large 

 canines, around which the outer row is continued by five to 

 seven large teeth; origin of dorsal in advance of base of pectoral 

 or even before gill opening ; pectorals dusky to blackish, pointed, 

 and contained from 2.2 to 3 times in head; height of dorsal 

 about 1.5 in body depth; silvery or ashy gray, sometimes with 

 a slight tinge of golden yellow along sides; vertical fins pale 

 or yellowish, with broad black or brownish black margins and 

 black caudal. 



Here described from two specimens from the Manila market, 

 measuring 400 and 433 millimeters in length. The Bureau of 



