23,2 H err e: Philippine Eels 231 



dendritic and anastomosing or reticulate; the markings wider 

 and darker above, so that dorsal half is more or less dusky, 

 ventral half relatively pale; interspaces between markings 

 sprinkled with very minute dark dots. 



Here described from three small specimens, 122, 179, and 182 

 millimeters in length, dug out of the coral sands at Sitanki. 



This is closely related to Uropterygius marmoratus but seems 

 to be sufficiently distinct from Gymnomurasna marmorata as 

 defined by Weber and Beaufort. 



Genus UROPTERYGIUS Ruppell 



Uropterygius Ruppel, Neue Wirbelthiere, Fische (1835) 83; Jordan 



and Snyder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 23 (1901) 886. 

 Gymnomurasna Weber and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. Arch. 3 

 (1916) 392. 

 This group comprises long or very long morays in which the 

 fins are altogether wanting or developed only at tip of tail ; the 

 typical species have the tail as long as or longer than head and 

 trunk, but it may be considerably shorter; anterior nostrils in 

 tubes, posterior nostrils with low rims only; eye small, covered 

 by skin ; cleft of mouth reaching behind eye, closing almost or 

 quite completely ; no pectorals ; gill openings small, in middle of 

 body height, or above or below; teeth in two or three series, 

 more or less compressed, pointed, the larger ones depressible; 

 vomer with one or two rows of pointed teeth. 



Coral-reef or shore-dwelling eels of the warmer parts of the 

 Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



Key to the species of Uropterygius. 



a\ Color uniform brown u - concolor. 



a 2 . More or less spotted, marbled, or reticulated. 



b\ Gill openings about middle of height, two or three 



b 2 . Gill openings high above middle line; tee 



, forming 

 . u". supraforatus. 



Uropterygius concolor Ruppell. 



Uropterygius concolor Ruppell, Neue Wirbelthiere, Fische (1835) 83; 



Jordan and Seale, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 28 (1905) 772. 

 Gymnomursena concolor Weber and Beaufort, Fishes Indo-Austr. 

 Arch. 3 (1916) 395. 

 Robust, smooth, and finless, the elongate subcylindrical trunk 

 becoming compressed posteriorly; tip of tail with a very small 

 caudal into which the vestigial dorsal and anal fins merge; origin 

 of dorsal about twice diameter of eye forward of tip of tail. 



