2a Colour uniform brown, tip of tail yellow ......... ........... U. conc%r
2b Markings present .............................................................. 3
3a A prominent white band connecting eyes and passing
to lower lip; nostrils white, a white stripe connecting
their bases ............................................................. U. kamar
3b No white bands on head ..................................................... 4
4a Colour uniform mottled brown with numerous white
specks on head; C yellow; body 1.3-1.5 in tail ....... U. xanthopterus
4b Colour drab yellow or brown, mottled with a web-like
network of thin dark lines; white head specks absent;
C not distinctly coloured; body subequal to tail ....... U. micropterus
41.29 Uropterygius conca/or
Ruppell,1838
Uniform reef-eel
Eenkleurige rifpaling
Uropterygius conc%r Riippell, 1838: 83, PI. 20, Fig. 4 (Red Sea);
Smith, SFSA No. 1133*; 1962: 427*. Anarchias vermiformis Smith, 1962:
429, PI. 53, Fig. H (Zanzibar); McCosker et aI., 1984: 262.
Head about 9, depth 25-30. Teeth slender, sharp; 2 rows on jaws, those
in front and in inner series larger; a few depressible fangs on intermaxillary; 1 row on vomer. A single anterior LL pore. Vertebrae 117-119.
Colour drab brown, tip of tail yellow. Attains 32 cm. Durban northwards to Red Sea.
41.29 Uropterygius conc%r: 22 em (Kenya). Arrow indicates anus.
41.30 Uropterygius kamar
McCosker & Randall, 1977
Barlip reef-eel
Balklip-rifpaling
Uropterygius kamar McCosker & Randall, 1977: 154, Figs. 3b & 4
(Comores); Smith, 1980: 185.
Head about 10, depth 26. Teeth sharp, slender, recurved; 3 rows in
upper jaw, outer teeth progressively larger medially and becoming
depressible; lower jaw teeth biserial laterally , triserial in front, similar to
those above; a few depressible fangs on intermaxillary; vomerine teeth
uniserial. A pair of anterior LL pores. Vertebrae 134-138.
Colour dark brown; snout, chin and head marked by
irregular white bars and patches. Attains 37 cm. Sodwana
Bay; Indo-Pacific.
41.30 Uropterygius kamar: 41 em (Sodwana Bay).
41: MURAENIDAE (MORAY EELS)
41.31 Uropterygius micropterus
(Bleeker, 1852)
PLATE 8
Shortfinned reef-eel
Kortvin-rifpaling
Muraena micropterus Bleeker, 1852: 298 (Indonesia). Uropterygius
marmoratus (non Lacepede): Smith, SFSA No. 1134*; 1962: 427*.
Uropterygius micropterus: McCosker et aI., 1984: 265*.
Head 8.5-10, depth 16-20. Teeth slender, sharp; 2 rows in jaws, those in
front and in inner series larger; a few depressible fangs on intermaxillary;
uniserial teeth on vomer. A single anterior LL pore. Vertebrae 114-118.
Head and body drab yellow or brown, overlain with a
web-like network of dark thin lines. Attains 28 cm. Durban
northwards; Indo-Pacific.
41.31 Uropterygius micropterus: 23.5 em (N. Mozambique). Arrow indicates
anus.
41.32 Uropterygius tigrinus
(Lesson, 1829)
PLATE 7
Tiger reef-eel
Tier-rifpaling
/chthyophis tigrinus Lesson, 1829: 399 (Indonesia). Uropterygius tigrinus: Smith, SFSA No. 1132*; 1962: 426*.
Head 13, depth 30. Teeth slender, sharp; 2 rows on jaws, at least anteriorly; those in front of upper jaw and in inner series larger; a few, depressible teeth on intermaxillary; uniserial, small teeth on vomer. A single
anterior LL pore. Vertebrae 169-172.
Colour yellowish to russet brown, marked with roundish,
yellow-edged black spots; snout and jaw speckled with
black. Attains 105 cm. Natal to southern Mozambique;
Indo-Pacific.
41.32 Uropterygius tigrinus: 109 em (Zanzibar).
175
2b Markings present .............................................................. 3
3a A prominent white band connecting eyes and passing
to lower lip; nostrils white, a white stripe connecting
their bases ............................................................. U. kamar
3b No white bands on head ..................................................... 4
4a Colour uniform mottled brown with numerous white
specks on head; C yellow; body 1.3-1.5 in tail ....... U. xanthopterus
4b Colour drab yellow or brown, mottled with a web-like
network of thin dark lines; white head specks absent;
C not distinctly coloured; body subequal to tail ....... U. micropterus
41.29 Uropterygius conca/or
Ruppell,1838
Uniform reef-eel
Eenkleurige rifpaling
Uropterygius conc%r Riippell, 1838: 83, PI. 20, Fig. 4 (Red Sea);
Smith, SFSA No. 1133*; 1962: 427*. Anarchias vermiformis Smith, 1962:
429, PI. 53, Fig. H (Zanzibar); McCosker et aI., 1984: 262.
Head about 9, depth 25-30. Teeth slender, sharp; 2 rows on jaws, those
in front and in inner series larger; a few depressible fangs on intermaxillary; 1 row on vomer. A single anterior LL pore. Vertebrae 117-119.
Colour drab brown, tip of tail yellow. Attains 32 cm. Durban northwards to Red Sea.
41.29 Uropterygius conc%r: 22 em (Kenya). Arrow indicates anus.
41.30 Uropterygius kamar
McCosker & Randall, 1977
Barlip reef-eel
Balklip-rifpaling
Uropterygius kamar McCosker & Randall, 1977: 154, Figs. 3b & 4
(Comores); Smith, 1980: 185.
Head about 10, depth 26. Teeth sharp, slender, recurved; 3 rows in
upper jaw, outer teeth progressively larger medially and becoming
depressible; lower jaw teeth biserial laterally , triserial in front, similar to
those above; a few depressible fangs on intermaxillary; vomerine teeth
uniserial. A pair of anterior LL pores. Vertebrae 134-138.
Colour dark brown; snout, chin and head marked by
irregular white bars and patches. Attains 37 cm. Sodwana
Bay; Indo-Pacific.
41.30 Uropterygius kamar: 41 em (Sodwana Bay).
41: MURAENIDAE (MORAY EELS)
41.31 Uropterygius micropterus
(Bleeker, 1852)
PLATE 8
Shortfinned reef-eel
Kortvin-rifpaling
Muraena micropterus Bleeker, 1852: 298 (Indonesia). Uropterygius
marmoratus (non Lacepede): Smith, SFSA No. 1134*; 1962: 427*.
Uropterygius micropterus: McCosker et aI., 1984: 265*.
Head 8.5-10, depth 16-20. Teeth slender, sharp; 2 rows in jaws, those in
front and in inner series larger; a few depressible fangs on intermaxillary;
uniserial teeth on vomer. A single anterior LL pore. Vertebrae 114-118.
Head and body drab yellow or brown, overlain with a
web-like network of dark thin lines. Attains 28 cm. Durban
northwards; Indo-Pacific.
41.31 Uropterygius micropterus: 23.5 em (N. Mozambique). Arrow indicates
anus.
41.32 Uropterygius tigrinus
(Lesson, 1829)
PLATE 7
Tiger reef-eel
Tier-rifpaling
/chthyophis tigrinus Lesson, 1829: 399 (Indonesia). Uropterygius tigrinus: Smith, SFSA No. 1132*; 1962: 426*.
Head 13, depth 30. Teeth slender, sharp; 2 rows on jaws, at least anteriorly; those in front of upper jaw and in inner series larger; a few, depressible teeth on intermaxillary; uniserial, small teeth on vomer. A single
anterior LL pore. Vertebrae 169-172.
Colour yellowish to russet brown, marked with roundish,
yellow-edged black spots; snout and jaw speckled with
black. Attains 105 cm. Natal to southern Mozambique;
Indo-Pacific.
41.32 Uropterygius tigrinus: 109 em (Zanzibar).
175