Iqq The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



Ophichthus tapeinopterus Jordan and Seale, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fish- 

 eries 26 (1906) (1907) 6; Jordan and Richardson, Bull. U. S. Bur. 

 Fisheries 27 (1907) (1908) 238. 

 Jenkinsella nectura Jordan and Seale, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fisheries 26 

 (1906) (1907) 6, fig. 1 (typ. err.). 

 Depth 2.38 to 3.4 in head and 23 to 34 in total length; head 

 9.6 to 10.2 in length and 2.24 to 2.5 in trunk; head and trunk 

 together 1.86 to 2 in tail which is therefore about 1.5 in total 

 length; eye from 11.6 to 16 in head and from about 1.5 to 2 

 in snout, which is 6.8 to 9.66 in head ; mouth reaches far behind 

 eyes, its cleft from 2.6 to 3 in head; pectorals 2 to 2.38 in head; 

 origin of dorsal ranges from above gill openings to above first 

 fifth of pectorals. 



Teeth small, uniform in size, needlelike, those in maxillaries 

 in bands of three to five rows, broadest posteriorly, those on 

 vomer usually in a narrow biserial band; this is sometimes 

 irregular or in one row forward and two rows farther back, 

 and in one specimen but one row is present ; the vomerine band 

 is shorter than the maxillary bands; teeth in mandibles small 

 to very small, the band narrow, biserial or becoming uniserial ; 

 teeth on intermaxillary plate minute, few, four to six, more or 

 less irregularly paired. 



The head of this delicate little eel is narrow, the slightly con- 

 vex snout sharp and pointed; lower jaw noticeably thin, flat, 

 and weak; body cylindrical, tail full and rounded, becoming 

 compressed only near its tip; lateral line beginning on nape. 



Color in life usually semitranslucent pale cream gray, shading 

 to ivory beneath, or very pale gray-brown, or sometimes olive 

 above ; upper half of body densely sprinkled with minute dusky 

 dots which obscure the ground color, fins colorless or more or 

 less slightly sprinkled with dots. Color of alcoholic specimens 

 similar but darker, or finally uniform clear light brown, the 



Measurements 



of ten specimens of Cirrhimuraena tapeinopterus 

 Manila Bay. 



from 



Wth. 



Head. 



T,»n t . 



Tall. 



Depth. 1 Length. 



H.,,1. 



Trunk. 



Tail. 



Depth. 



i 



I 



z 



z 



]J 1 



i 



70 



s 



fo 



