234 The Philippine Journal of Science 



TJropterygius supraforatus (Regan). 



Gymnomursena supraforata Regan, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. VIII 4 

 (1909) 439; Gunther, Fische d. Siidsee 3 (1910) 426, figure in text. 



Depth 18.5 in total length, head 10.5 to 11, and 4.6 in trunk; 

 head and trunk together a little shorter than (1.09 in) tail; eyes 

 large, 7.7 in head and about 1.3 in the broad, rounded snout, 

 forward of middle of the large mouth which closes completely 

 and is 1.9 to twice in head ; posterior nostrils behind middle of 

 eye, with elevated rims; gill openings high up, located four- 

 thirteenths of depth below dorsal profile ; vertical fins very low, 

 poorly developed, dorsal ridge beginning about length of head, 

 anal less than that forward of tip of caudal, with which they are 



,££;. ,£!..:, confluent. Teeth excessively 



numerous, all depressible; in 



both upper and lower jaws an 



§ % outer row °f verv small, pointed, 



l^a^l v b H laterally compressed teeth after 



fig. i4. urwterygiua supraforatus (Re- which comes a band of similar 



12!' xiT° n '' °' UPPer iaw: b ' lower but sli 2 htl y higher teeth, con- 

 taining four rows in upper jaws 

 and three or four in mandible; bands taper posteriorly to one 

 or two rows ; then follow two or three rows of very long, sharp, 

 depressible, needlelike canines, arranged in two rows anteriorly, 

 in three rows on the maxillaries, the innermost row being con- 

 spicuously the largest; the mandible with three rows of long 

 depressible canines, those of innermost row largest; vomer with 

 two slender, short, sharp-pointed teeth ; according to Regan 

 the vomerine teeth form a short band. A median row of three 

 long depressible canines on the intermaxillaries. 



A moderately slender eel with rather blunt tail, the skin very 

 thick and leathery. 



Color in alcohol pale yellowish brown, with numerous, often 

 circular, dark reddish spots which often tend to form vertical 

 series, especially posteriorly; spots smaller and more numerous 

 on sides of head, jaws, and throat. 



I have examined one specimen of this very distinct species, 

 obtained from the stomach of a sea snake, at Cresta de Gallo, 

 a rock near Sibuyan. Previously known from a specimen from 

 Savaii and three smaller ones from Tahiti. My specimen is 

 practically identical in size with the type in the British Museum, 

 its measurements being as follows : Length, 277 millimeters ; head, 

 27; trunk, 125; tail, 155; eye, 3.5; snout, 4.5; gape, 14. 



