41: MURAENIDAE (MORAY EELS)
41.26 Siderea grisea
(Lacepede, 1803)
Geometric moray
Geometriese bontpaling
Muraenophis grisea Lacepede, 1803: 629, PI. 19, Fig. 3 (Madagascar).
Siderea sehonlandi Smith, 1949: 109 (Delagoa Bay); SFSA No. 1131a*.
Siderea grisea: Smith, 1962: 441'.
Head 8.5-10, depth 17-22. Teeth stout, conical, 2 rows on upper jaw and
vomer; 1 row on lower jaw; 2 teeth on intermaxillary. Vertebrae 131-136.
Colour: head brownish with conspicuous lines of black
dots; lilac body with brown marbling; young paler. Attains
38 cm. Transkei northwards to the Red Sea and throughout
the western Indian Ocean.
41.26 Siderea grisea: 53 em (Mauritius; photo by J.E. Randall).
41.27 Siderea picta
(Ahl,1789)
Paintspotted moray
Verfspikkel-bontpaling
M uraena pieta Ahl, 1789: 6 (Indonesia). Gymnothorax polyophthalmus
Gilchrist & Thompson, 1917: 305 (Natal). Siderea pieta: Smith, SFSA No.
1131*; 1962: 440'.
Head 7-8, depth 15-20. Teeth stout, conical, uniserial on jaws; 1 tooth
on intermaxillary; biserial on vomer. Vertebrae 128-133.
41.27 Siderea piela: top: 48 em (Inhaea Id.); bottom: 15 em (Kenya). Arrows
indicate anus.
174
Colour greyish, closely speckled with irregular, dark
markings; young yellowish with regularly spaced, roundish,
hollow-centred spots, becoming less definite with age.
Attains 68 cm. Natal northwards and throughout whole of
the Indo-Pacific.
Genus Thyrsoidea Kaup, 1856
A single species.
41.28 Thyrsoidea macrura
(Bleeker, 1854)
Slender giant moray
Siank reuse bontpaling
Muraena macrurus Bleeker, 1854: 324 (Indonesia); 1864: 111*. Thyrsoidea maerura: Smith, SFSA No. 1123*; 1962: 424*.
A very elongate, slender moray; head 12, depth about 40. Biserial sharp
teeth on jaws, those in front and in inner row larger; a few depressible
fangs on intermaxillary; uniserial, much smaller, teeth on vomer. Vertebrae ca. 210.
Colour brownish grey above, lighter below. The longest
known eel, one of 375 cm reported from Queensland,
Australia. Widespread in tropical Indo-Pacific, reaches
south to the Bashee, mostly in estuaries.
41.28 Thyrsoidea maerura: 76 em.
Genus Uropterygius Ruppell, 1838
Median fins restricted to rear end of tail. About 23
species; 5 in our area. Most records in our area and
elsewhere of Uropterygius marmoratus (Lacepede) have
been based on U. micropterus. U. marmoratus is a larger,
more robust species, widespread in the Indo-Pacific and
western Indian Ocean, and differs from U. micropterus in
its colour, dentition and vertebrae (133-136).
KEY TO SPECIES
la Tail about 3 in TL; body with small and large
blotches .............................................................. U. tigrinus
1b Tail about 2 or less in TL; body plain or mottled, not
spotted ..................................................................... ...... 2
41.26 Siderea grisea
(Lacepede, 1803)
Geometric moray
Geometriese bontpaling
Muraenophis grisea Lacepede, 1803: 629, PI. 19, Fig. 3 (Madagascar).
Siderea sehonlandi Smith, 1949: 109 (Delagoa Bay); SFSA No. 1131a*.
Siderea grisea: Smith, 1962: 441'.
Head 8.5-10, depth 17-22. Teeth stout, conical, 2 rows on upper jaw and
vomer; 1 row on lower jaw; 2 teeth on intermaxillary. Vertebrae 131-136.
Colour: head brownish with conspicuous lines of black
dots; lilac body with brown marbling; young paler. Attains
38 cm. Transkei northwards to the Red Sea and throughout
the western Indian Ocean.
41.26 Siderea grisea: 53 em (Mauritius; photo by J.E. Randall).
41.27 Siderea picta
(Ahl,1789)
Paintspotted moray
Verfspikkel-bontpaling
M uraena pieta Ahl, 1789: 6 (Indonesia). Gymnothorax polyophthalmus
Gilchrist & Thompson, 1917: 305 (Natal). Siderea pieta: Smith, SFSA No.
1131*; 1962: 440'.
Head 7-8, depth 15-20. Teeth stout, conical, uniserial on jaws; 1 tooth
on intermaxillary; biserial on vomer. Vertebrae 128-133.
41.27 Siderea piela: top: 48 em (Inhaea Id.); bottom: 15 em (Kenya). Arrows
indicate anus.
174
Colour greyish, closely speckled with irregular, dark
markings; young yellowish with regularly spaced, roundish,
hollow-centred spots, becoming less definite with age.
Attains 68 cm. Natal northwards and throughout whole of
the Indo-Pacific.
Genus Thyrsoidea Kaup, 1856
A single species.
41.28 Thyrsoidea macrura
(Bleeker, 1854)
Slender giant moray
Siank reuse bontpaling
Muraena macrurus Bleeker, 1854: 324 (Indonesia); 1864: 111*. Thyrsoidea maerura: Smith, SFSA No. 1123*; 1962: 424*.
A very elongate, slender moray; head 12, depth about 40. Biserial sharp
teeth on jaws, those in front and in inner row larger; a few depressible
fangs on intermaxillary; uniserial, much smaller, teeth on vomer. Vertebrae ca. 210.
Colour brownish grey above, lighter below. The longest
known eel, one of 375 cm reported from Queensland,
Australia. Widespread in tropical Indo-Pacific, reaches
south to the Bashee, mostly in estuaries.
41.28 Thyrsoidea maerura: 76 em.
Genus Uropterygius Ruppell, 1838
Median fins restricted to rear end of tail. About 23
species; 5 in our area. Most records in our area and
elsewhere of Uropterygius marmoratus (Lacepede) have
been based on U. micropterus. U. marmoratus is a larger,
more robust species, widespread in the Indo-Pacific and
western Indian Ocean, and differs from U. micropterus in
its colour, dentition and vertebrae (133-136).
KEY TO SPECIES
la Tail about 3 in TL; body with small and large
blotches .............................................................. U. tigrinus
1b Tail about 2 or less in TL; body plain or mottled, not
spotted ..................................................................... ...... 2