38 



CALIFOENIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



sional finer ones intermingled; those on ventral surface minute. Fins colored like 

 the body, the spots of the same size and character. ' On the head the spots become 

 less numerous, the anterior third of its length plain. 



Teeth everywhere in single series, the lateral teeth small, those anteriorly in 

 both maxillary and mandible much enlarged. Shaft of vomer with a very inconspic- 

 uous series of teeth, beginning opposite middle of eye, preceded after an interval by 

 three very large depressible canines, the largest teeth present. A series of five 

 black-edged pores along each half of upper and lower jaw, the two largest on upper 

 jaw between front of eye and anterior nostril tube. 



Table of Mcasuremods in Millimeters. 



67. Muraena clepsydra Gilbert. 



Plate VII, Fig. 13. 



Murccna elepsydra Gilbert (Jordan & Evermann, 1898, p. 2805). 



jMumna mclanotis GtJNTHER, Cat. Fish., Vol. VIII, p. 98 (in part); here belong' all other records 

 of M. melanoHs from the Pacific. 



Closely related to M. insidarum and M. argiis, from the tropical Pacific, but differing from 

 both in color. 



Nostrils tubular, of almost equal length. Mouth closing completely, the teeth entirely con- 

 cealed by the lips. Gape straight, horizontal, extending to well behind the eyes, 2-^ to 2| in head. 



Teeth in jaws large, compressed and wide at base, tapering uniformly to an acute point, 

 directed backward, close set, everywhere uniserial; those in sides of mandible noticeably smaller than 

 those of upper jaw, the teeth in both jaws increasing in size anteriorly. As many as 18 or 20 teeth 

 may be present in the half of either jaw, but many of them are usually wanting, leaving gaps in the 

 series. A single row of small teeth on shaft of vomer, beginning opposite front of eye. Head of 

 vomer with two long canines, larger than any of the other teeth, one or both of these usually wanting 

 in larger specimens, having apparently fallen out. 



Head 2 (i^^^ to 2j'^) in trunk; head and trunk i^ to i^ in tail; depth at anus appro.ximately 

 half length of head. Eye small, its diameter contained 12 to 16 times in head; snout 5 to 5^. Dorsal 

 beginning on the head, its distance from snout i^ to i^ in head. 



Color dark brown, lighter on belly, dull whitish on under side of head. Head, body and fins 

 closely covered with white spots, those on posterior parts larger, with some smaller ones intermingled, 

 the larger spots with a more or less evident central constriction which makes them hourglass-shaped. 

 Toward the head, the spots become very small and crowded, not more than half as large as pupil. 

 Fins indistinctly light margined. A large elliptical jet-black blotch surrounds the gill slit, distinctly 

 margined by a series of confluent white spots. The longitudinal diameter of the blotch is contained 5 

 to 5t times in the length of the head. Angle of mouth with a small black blotch, often obscure, pre- 

 ceded by a pale spot on mandible. The throat is marked with a number of parallel lengthwise folds, 

 the bottom of each fold with a dark line. 



