Herre: Philippine Eels 



1-19 



Science collection also has six specimens from Alaminos, Pan- 

 gasinan; one from Agno River, Pangasinan; one from Bancal 

 River near Iba, Zambales; one from Calabang, Camarines; one 

 from Tacloban, Leyte; two from Hongkong; and two from 

 Sandakan, Borneo. These range in length from 265 to 650 

 millimeters. 



Through the kindness of Prof. A. L. Day, of the University 

 of the Philippines, I have examined some specimens from Cavite. 

 The largest of these, with a length of 455 millimeters, is a 

 female ready to spawn. Her body is markedly enlarged by the 

 ripe ovaries, which extend for some distance behind as well 

 as a long way before the anal opening. Unfortunately the date 

 of collection is not known. This eel has also been recorded 

 from the Philippines by both Richardson and Gunther and from 

 Manila by Jordan and Seale and by Jordan and Richardson. 



This very large eel is abundant in the Manila markets, where 

 specimens 2 meters in length are occasionally seen. Though 

 originally described from the Red Sea it is very widely distrib- 

 uted and occurs from the east coast of Africa throughout the 

 Indian Ocean and in the Pacific from Japan to Australia and 

 the South Sea Islands; it is everywhere esteemed for food. 

 Though primarily a marine species it occurs plentifully in the 

 mouths of rivers and up them as far as the tides are felt. 

 Muraenesox talabon (Cantor). 



Conger talabon Cantor, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 18 (1850) 1294. 



Muraenesox talabon Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 22, pi. 8, 



*fig. 2; Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 8 (1870) 45; Weber and 



Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 (1916) 255, figs. 103 and 105. 



Murmnesox talabon Day, Fishes of India (1878) 661, pi. 168, fig. 5. 



Depth 17.8, head 6.56 in total length; head 4+ ; head and 

 trunk 1.64 in tail, which is 0.62 of the total length; eye 3 in 

 snout and 11.3 in head; cleft of mouth 2.27 in head, pectoral 

 a little more than 3. 



Measurements of two specimens of Murxnesox talabon. 





No. S «, 



N„. S «5. 







No. 9495. 





125 



m "z 





5 



: 





















