23,2 Herre: Philippine Eels 151 



A specimen seen in the Manila market was nearly 2 meters 

 in length and had an exceedingly robust trunk, with a girth of 

 about 375 millimeters. 



The depth varies from 15 to 25 and the head is somewhat 

 more or less than 6 times in the length; the eye is from 9 to 

 11.5 times in the head. 



This large and powerful marine eel, which is said by Day to 

 reach a length of 10 feet or more, occurs in the warm seas of 

 the Orient and also enters brackish waters. It is frequently 

 taken with Mur&nesox cinereus in Manila Bay, though not in 

 such numbers, and is not rare in the Manila markets, where it 

 is highly prized for food. 



Originally described in India, it is found in all the East Indies 

 and north to the coast of southern China. The smaller of my 

 specimens has the mesentery and body cavity infested with many 

 small nematodes, concerning which nothing is known definitely. 

 Similar worms may be observed in great numbers in various 

 species of fish, a notable instance being the herring, abundant 

 at times on the coast of California. 



HETEROCONGRIDiE 



Greatly elongated scaleless eels, the trunk subcylindrical, with 

 compressed, ribbonlike tail, nearly twice to more than twice as 

 long as head and trunk together, not, as incorrectly stated by 

 Weber and Beaufort, "nearly twice or more than twice in head 

 and trunk;" dorsal and anal rather low, confluent with caudal; 

 pectorals absent or minute; snout obtuse, very short, cleft of 

 mouth oblique, not reaching eye or at most extending to a point 

 below its front margin; lower jaw extending beyond upper; 

 posterior nostrils in front and slightly below level of upper 

 margin of eye; anterior nostrils very small, concealed; tongue 

 free; teeth in jaws and on vomer small, acicular, arranged in 

 bands; gill openings lateral narrow slits; lateral line present 



A rare family hitherto known from a single genus with 

 one species in Amboina and one in the Canary Islands. The 

 skeletal characters are unknown. 



Diagnosis here altered from Weber and Beaufort, 6 to include 

 a new Philippine genus and species. 



Key to the genera of Heterocongridse. 



Heterocongrer. 



Pectorals absent 



exit 



Fishes Indo-Austral. Arch. 3 (1916) 271. 



