23 - 2 H err e: Philippine Eels 225 



in advance of gill opening, which is four-fifths as large as eye ; 

 greatest width of head a little more than 3.5 in its length. 



Teeth all conical, sharp, and strongly slanted backward, in a 

 single row in both jaws; ten maxillary teeth on each side and 

 about twelve much larger ones on intermaxillary, with three long 

 depressible fangs in a central row, the posterior one very long; 

 five small, short, pointed teeth far back on vomer; twenty to 

 twenty-two teeth on each side of lower jaw, the first two pairs 

 being large fangs. 



Color in life clear brilliant brown with five longitudinal rows 

 of irregularly shaped black spots and blotches which form more 

 or less broken and irregular crossbands, narrower than the 

 interspaces, and best developed on fins ; head more or less ruddy 

 and mottled with white and brown ; a large blackish blotch behind 

 eyes has a short narrow white line above it and a more distinct, 

 wider, and longer white band which extends to upper lip 

 below eyes; another white stripe from front margin of eyes to 

 middle of maxillary; a black blotch in angle of jaws bordered 

 anteriorly by a narrow elongate white stripe on mandible; a 

 white median line in the the dusky area under posterior portion 

 of mandibles; chin and throat with narrow white transverse 

 lines; pores of jaws white. 



Color in alcohol similar but faded, especially on head which 

 is dull colored, the white becoming dingy or disappearing. 



Here described from the type of Gymnothorax indong, Bureau 

 of Science collection No. 4445, from Zamboanga, Mindanao. 

 This handsome little eel reaches a length of more than 450 milli- 

 meters, and is known elsewhere from Tahiti, Rotuma, and the 

 south coast of Java. 



Gymnothorax philippinus Jordan and Seale. 



Gymnothorax philippinus Jordan and Seale, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fisheries 

 26 (1906) (1907) 7, fig. 2. 



Head 3.45 in trunk; length of head and trunk greater than tail by a 

 distance equal to length of snout; eye rather large, 1.9 in snout; length 

 of mouth to angle 2.4 in head; a single row of sharp pointed teeth in lower 

 jaw; teeth in upper jaw in a single row, reinforced by 3 or 4 additional 

 teeth in palatine series; three large fang-like vomerine teeth in front, 

 with a row of smaller ones extending back; anterior teeth large canines; 

 fins of moderate height. 



Color in spirits, everywhere powdered with yellow and brown, lighter 

 on belly and chin, darker on posterior two-thirds of body, which shows 

 rather wide indistinct darker bands; a distinct black blotch at angle of 



