FAMILY, X— MUR^NID.^. 673 



Sidera Pfeifferi and pantheri7ia, Kaup, Apod. pp. 70, 71. 



Gyinnothc/rax fantherinus, Bleeker, Batjan, p. 152. 



Length of head 3f in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent: tail about as long as 

 the trunk. J7(/es— small, about 2 diameters from the end of the snout, and situated over about the centre of the 

 cleft of mouth, which latter is about 1/3 of the length of the head: the mouth cannot be completely closed. 

 Anterior nasal tube not quite so long as the vertical diameter of the orbit. Gill-openmg about as large as the 

 orbit. ree//(— maxillary and premaxillary teeth in a single row : the vomerine ones posteriorly rounded and 

 generally anteriorly in a bifurcated row : the anterior 2 or 3 vomerine teeth are rather curved, sharp not subulate, 

 and about the same size as those in the premaxiUaries. Mandibular teeth in one row, except anteriorly where 

 it is double. Colours— there are many different forms of colour, usually of a gi-ay or grayish-yellow groundwork 

 covered with black spots, which are connected together by a network of dark lines causing the fish to appear 



marbled. . i.- i i 



ilafc/iaf.— East coast of Africa, Madagascar, Bourbon, and seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 



beyond. 



C. — Teeth generally ohtzise or violarifurm. 

 17. Muraena zebra. 



Gymnomurmna zehra, Shaw, Nat. Misc. p. 101 ; Richards. Erebus and Terror, Fish. p. 95 ; Kaup, Apodal 

 Fish. p. 104, t. 14, f. 70. 



Gymnotliorax zebra, Bl. Schn. p. 528. 



Gijmnomurcena doliata, Lacepede, v, pp. 648, 649, pi. six, f. 4. 



Murcena molendinaris, Benn. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, p. 32. 



Muraina zebra, Cuv. Reg. Anim. : Bleeker, Boeroe, p. 80, and Amboina, p. 93 ; Giinther, Catal. viu, 

 p. 128 ; Klunz. Fisohe Rotheu Meer. 1871, p. 620. 



Gymnomurcena fasciata, Kaup, Apodal Pish, p. 103, f. 69. 



Echidna zebra, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 81, t. clxxi, f. 1. 



Length of head 6^ to 7| in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail 1/3 of the total 

 length. Eyes— small, and rather nearer the end of the snout than to the angle of the mouth. TeefA— consist 

 of bands of obtuse molars. Golo^irs—oi a rich dark brown, and ornamented with from 30 to 100 narrow white 

 or yellow rings, which are sometimes incomplete. 



Habitat.— Red Sea and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 the Pacific. It attains a large size. 



18. Muraena nebulosa, Plate CLXXII, fig. 2. 



Ahl, De Mur. et Ophichth. p. 5, t. i, f . 2 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 130 ; Klunz. Fisohe Roth. Meer. 

 1871, p. 618. 



Gymnotliorax nebulosus and echidna, Bl. Schn. p. 528. 



Echidna variegata, Forst. Desc. Anim. ed Licht. p. 181 ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 80, t. clxviii, f. 2. 



Murcena ophis, Riipp. Atl. Fische, p. 116, t. 29, f. 2 ; Richard. Erebus and Terror, Pish. p. 93. 



Thatrodontis ophis, McClell. Cal. J. N. H. v, p. 217. 



Murcena variegata, Richard. 1. c, p. 94, pi. 47, fig. 11-16; Bleeker, Ich. Mol. p. 295, Mur. p. 4/; Peters, 

 Wiegm. Arch. 1855, p. 270. 



Pa-cilophis variegata, Kaup, Apod. p. 98, f. 67 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 381. 



Length of head 4^ to 4f in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : tail a little shorter 

 than the trunk. Eyes— nearly 2 diameters from end of snout and situated midway between it and cleft of 

 mouth, which last equals about 1/3 of the length of the head. Gill-opening rather smaller than the eye. 

 Teeth— most of the teeth obtuse or molariform. Mws— vertical ones rather well developed and commencing a 

 little in front of gill-opening. Colours— hrowmsh or olive, darkest along the back. A row of from 20 to 25 

 black blotches along the upper surface of the head and back extending on to the dorsal fin, and nearly as wide 

 as the ground colour, there are some white spots in the centre of each. A similar row of blotches along the 

 abdominal surface. Intermediate ground colour of fish covered with small black stars, spots or vermiculated 

 lines. Vertebrae, 65/57. 



This fish is termed Saulinga Pdm. Tel. according to Sir W. Elliot. 



Habitat.— Red Sea, Madagascar, Bourbon, Seychelles Archipelago, through the Indian and Pacifac 

 Oceans. It is said to attain 5 feet in length. 



19. Mursena polyzona, Plate CLXIX, fig. 3. 



Richards. Voy. Sulphur, Zool. p. 112, pi. Iv, f. 11-14, and Erebus and Terror, Fish. p. 95 ; Bleeker, 

 Manado, p. 73 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 151 ; Gimther, Catal. viii, p. 129 ; Klunz. Pisch. Roth. Meer. 

 1871, p. 617. 



Murcjena dizona, Bleeker, Timor, p. 260. 



Paicilophis polyzontis, Kaup, Apod. p. 101 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 382. 



Echidna polyzona, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 81, t. clxviii, f. 3. 



4 R 



