23 .2 H err e: Philippine Eels 175 



figure of Ophichthys diepenhorsti but beginning on top of head, 

 halfway between gill openings and tip of snout. 



The ground color in life is light gray, varying to whitish 

 on belly and throat; darkened to dark gray or dusky above 

 the lateral line by innumerable minute dots which are absent 

 only on belly and throat. 



Color in alcohol pale brownish gray to dark brown, paler 

 brown to whitish below, especially on belly and throat ; thickly 

 sprinkled, especially above, with minute dark brown dots, which 

 are absent on belly and underside of head ; fins dusky to colorless 

 in my material, but black or with a black margin according to 

 authors. 



This inconspicuous little eel is easily recognized by its den- 

 tition and the relative proportions of head and tail. The body 

 is plump, the transverse diameter nearly or quite equal to the 

 depth. The head is small, the lower jaw weak, much shorter 

 than the upper one. 



As usual in this group the throat is longitudinally striate or 

 pleated and much inflated. 



I have examined five living specimens from the Manila market, 

 and numerous alcoholic specimens from Malabon, Manila, Min- 

 doro, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Misamis, and Davao, Mindanao. 

 They vary in length from 181 to 345 millimeters. 



This species attains a length of 430 millimeters; it occurs in 

 seas and bays throughout the East Indies from Singapore to 

 Celebes, and northward to the coast of China. 

 Ophichtlms macrochir (Bleeker). 



Ophisurus macrochir Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. 25 (1852) Muraen. 26. 

 Ophichthys macrochir Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muram. 4 (1864) 54, 

 pi. 20, fig. 1; Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 8 (1870) 72; Weber 

 and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 (1916) 306. 



Depth 42 to 55.5, head from 14.5 to 17.7 in total length; head 

 4 to 5.3 in trunk ; head and trunk 1.7 to about twice in tail ; eye 

 10.4 to 13 in head, and about twice in snout, which is 5 to 6 

 in head; cleft of mouth extending just behind eye, 2.9 to 3.6 

 in head; pectorals 3 to 4.5 in head; origin of dorsal opposite 

 last quarter of pectorals or farther behind, in my smaller 

 specimen about the length of pectoral behind its tip; vertical 

 fins low, the anal the higher, less than one-half depth. 



Teeth very small, pointed, all uniserial except on anterior 

 portion of vomer where they are in two rows and strongest; 

 intermaxillary teeth said to be in about three pairs, but in 

 my material there are but two teeth in a row m one specimen 



