23,2 H err e: Philippine Eels 153 



Here described from the type and only specimen, collected 

 at Dumaguete about 1914, by the zoological department of Silli- 

 man Institute. The specimen was damaged by a thick fungal 

 scum which covered the preservative in which the fish was kept, 

 so that the eyes were destroyed and the lips damaged ; the ante- 

 rior nostrils were therefore not seen by me. The eyes were 

 apparently covered by the skin in life. This singular eel is 

 an unexpected addition to a little-known family, the only other 

 East Indian representative having been described and figured 

 by Bleeker from Amboina under the name of Heteroconger poly- 

 zona, 8 with a text figure. 



The type and only specimen has the following dimensions: 

 Length, 690 millimeters; head, 26; trunk, 184; tail, 480; greatest 

 depth of body, 8 ; length of snout, 5 ; height of dorsal, 2 ; eye, 5. 



Named for Dr. J. W. Chapman, professor of zoology in Silli- 

 man Institute, Dumaguete, Oriental Negros. 

 MYRID^E 



This family is composed of scaleless, more or less wormlike 

 eels, usually small and dull colored. Vertical fins confluent, 

 while the pectorals may be well or poorly developed or altogether 

 absent. Posterior nostrils usually near eyes in upper lip and 

 covered by a valve or protruding flap; anterior nostrils in a 

 short tube at margin of upper lip. Tongue more or less com- 

 pletely adnate ; teeth small, in one or more series or bands. Gill 

 openings small to very small. Anus in anterior half of length 

 but far behind gill openings. 



Fishes of the tropical and subtropical seas, living in coral 

 reefs, on sandy coasts, or in the sea near them. 



Represented in the Philippines by only one genus. 

 Genus MTTR-ENICHTHYS Bleeker 

 Murxnichthys Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. 25 (1853) Murama 71. 



Very elongate and slender, scaleless, cylindrical, more or less 

 wormlike eels, without pectoral fins, tail comprising more than 

 half the total length, and with both nostrils on margin of upper 

 lip, the anterior tubular, the posterior at base of a pendulous 

 flap; snout projecting somewhat beyond lower jaw; cleft of 

 mouth extending more or less behind eyes; dorsal and anal very 

 low, confluent around tail, dorsal beginning very far behind gill 

 'Veral. Med. Akad. Amsterdam (2) 2 (1868) 332. 



