23,2 H err e: Philippine Eels 171 



Islands, and attains a length of nearly a meter. I have exam- 

 ined numerous specimens, ranging in length from 268 to 662 

 millimeters, from Manila Bay, Dumaguete, and Mindanao. 

 Previously listed in the Philippines from Manila Bay and from 

 Cuyo Island. This eel and similar Ophichthyidse are frequently 

 seen in the markets and are much esteemed as food, all of them 

 being known in Tagalog as igat, though the name pindangd is 

 also sometimes applied. 



Genus OPHICHTHUS Ahl 

 Ophichthus Ahl, De Muraena et Ophichtho (1789) 3; Jordan and 



Snyder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 22 (1901) 871. 

 Ophichthys Bleeker, Giinther, and most recent authors (corrected 

 spelling) ; Weber and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 (1916) 

 300. 

 Much-elongated and cylindrical snakelike eels, the tail often 

 bulkier and deeper than the trunk, separated from closely re- 

 lated genera by their conical, sharp, subequal teeth, without 

 canines, in one or more series in jaws and on vomer; teeth of 

 intermaxillary plate in a group, in pairs, or in a row of single 

 teeth, separated from the other teeth; pectoral fins well devel- 

 oped; origin of dorsal behind head, and may be above gill 

 openings or the pectorals, or slightly behind end of latter; both 

 dorsal and anal end a short distance before tip of tail; gill open- 

 ings small or medium sized, in front of and somewhat below base 

 of pectorals; the pointed snout usually projects beyond mouth, 

 the cleft of which reaches below hind border of eye, or beyond; 

 upper lip with two prominent papillae on each side; a lateral 

 line present; anus somewhat before or much behind the middle 

 of length. . , 



In most representatives of this genus the color is more or less 

 uniform brown, varying from glistening light brown to blackish 

 brown, becoming paler on belly and throat, which may be gray 

 or whitish; a close examination shows that the color is due to 

 a vast number of minute brown or blackish dots thickly sprinkled 

 over the back, sides, and fins; where they are less numerous or 

 absent, as on the throat, the ground color alone sh ™ s " 

 A large genus, found throughout the tropical seas, the species 



very numerous. , J . , __„„:«„ 



The teeth on the intermaxillary plate are m most specie^ 

 much beyond the tip of the lower jaw and would therefore seem 

 to be useless appendages. Whatever functor > they -ma, -MMd 

 anv thev are subject to numerous irregularities in number ana 

 arr^ment! and are apparently often broken or damaged, 



