2Q2 The Philippine Journal of Science 1923 



The single species known occurs throughout the Indo-Malayan 

 region from Formosa to British India, Ceylon, Natal, and 

 Queensland. 

 Evenchelys macnirus (Bleeker). 



Mursena macrurus Bleeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. 7 (1854) 324. 



Thyrsoidea macrurus Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Muraen. 4 (1864) 111, 



pi. 22, fig. 2; Weber and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 



(1916) 355, fig. 174. 



Evenchelys macrurus JORDAN and Evermann, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



25 (1903) 327. 



Depth 31.5 to 47 in greatest length, head 10 to 14; head and 

 trunk 1.5 to 2 in tail ; eye 2.5 to 2.75 in snout, and 17 to 27 in 

 head; mouth large, its gape from 2.4 to 3.4 in head; origin of 

 dorsal from 0.2 to 0.3 the length of head before gill openings, 

 which are oblique, almost horizontal slits with prominent mar- 

 gins ; outer row of maxillary teeth very small to medium in size, 

 the posterior ones smallest, twelve to twenty in each jaw; inner 

 row of large needlelike depressible canines nine to twelve in 

 number ; intermaxillary plate with an outer row of eight to ten 

 stout fixed teeth, with a central row of three long depressible 

 fangs, the posterior one largest; a short row of small or medium- 

 sized teeth on vomer, varying from three to nine each ; each side 

 of mandible with an outer row of sixteen to twenty pointed teeth 

 varying greatly in size but all small, and an inner row of four 

 to seven large depressible canines on each side of forward half; 

 teeth varying much in size and number, apparently because 

 of breakage and regeneration; lateral line conspicuous, the 

 tubules far apart; height of dorsal at anus about 2.5 in body 

 depth at same point. 



Color of a fresh specimen, 1,464 millimeters long, uniform 

 brown, becoming darker posteriorly, belly and throat paler to 

 whitish; head ashy brown; dorsal concolorous except near tip 

 of tail where it has a very dark margin, merging into blackish 

 on caudal and contiguous part of anal; the latter fin very low 

 with dark brown margin. 



Another fresh specimen, 1 meter long, was uniform dark ashy 

 brown, darker posteriorly, with top of head olive, yellowish 

 around throat, and belly pale ashy; fins as in the previous 

 specimen. 



The color in alcohol varies from uniform grayish brown and 

 yellowish to black, the posterior portion usually darkest, the 

 belly and throat paler. 



