100 



A. REDSTED RASMUSSEN 



Table 1 Geographic variation in number of the teeth on maxilla, 

 palatine, pterygoid and dentary bone. 



n Maxillary n Palatine Pterygoid Dentary 

 teeth teeth teeth teeth 



Andaman Sea 

 Malacca Str. 53 



India 



Sri Lanka 5 



Persian Gulf 

 Gulf of Oman 73 



10-13 20 



9-10 



8-11 



12 



8-10 



7-10 



23-30 



21-26 



20-23 



20-21 



going back, yellowish ventrally, some older specimens with- 

 out a curved mark. Body with black bands (29-52) forming 

 rhombic spots dorsally and disappearing with age ventrally 

 (Figs. 4 and 5). Tail with black bands (5-8), disappearing with 

 age, posterior part black (Fig. 4). 



Breeding biology. Six of 17 females (collected in 

 September-November 1987) from Phuket were pregnant. 

 Three specimens contained 2 full-term embryos each, two 

 specimens contained 4 full-term embryos each, and one 

 specimen contained 1 full-term embryo. Pregnant females 

 were collected in the period 3rd October to 4th November. 

 None of the females collected in February-March 1989 were 

 pregnant. The smallest embryo measured 9 cm (3rd October) 



Fig. 4 Habitus of a juvenile and an adult H. lapemoides (ZMUC R 66992, 66993) from the Persian Gulf. Photo by M. Andersen. 



in respect of the length of the Vidian canals they are 

 symmetric. Palatine exceeding maxilla in forward extension, 

 and without a flange for the anterior medial process of 

 maxilla. Palatine-pterygoid articulation anterior to maxilla- 

 ectopterygoid articulation. Fangs separated from solid maxil- 

 lary teeth by a diastema. Maxillary bone slightly longer than 

 ectopterygoid. Solid maxillary teeth shorter than fangs. For 

 number of teeth on maxilla, palatine, pterygoid, and dentary 

 bones see Table 1. 



COLOUR. Juveniles: Head black with a yellowish curved 

 mark above, body yellowish or whitish, encircled by black 

 bands broadest dorsally (Figs. 3 and 4). Adults: Head dark 

 dorsally with curved white mark above, starting forehead 



and the largest 26 cm (19th October). The female collected 

 4th November had embryos measuring 22 cm. Thus H. 

 lapemoides seems to be a k-strategist (Lemen & Voris, 1981) 

 producing small clutches of relatively large offspring. 



None of the females examined from the Persian Gulf were 

 pregnant, however, Vols0e (1939) mentioned three females 

 with eggs, and again the clutch size was very small (two 

 females with 2 eggs, one female with 3 eggs). Only two of the 

 three specimens have a collection date, and both were from 

 April (Vols0e, 1939). 



Feeding biology. Remains of the following four fish fami- 

 lies were identified in stomach contents from H. lapemoides 

 collected at Phuket harbour; Gobiidae, Labridae, Mullidae, 



