A Collection of Fishes fi'om Samoa. 113 



uous with very small obsolete caudal to anal. Caudal length less than eye. Anal less 

 than half high as dorsal. Vent directly in front of anal origin. 



Color in alcohol very pale grayish white generally, everywhere marked with small, 

 pale brownish, irregularly crowded dots or specks of variable size and density. Spots 

 pale or obsolete along fin borders, but distinct on basal portions of fins. Under surface 

 of head and belly pale, nearly immaculate. Gill-openings very inconspicuous, pale, 

 same as general color. Iris slaty. Teeth whitish. 



Length about 173 mm. 



Only the above example from Pago Pago. Probably pale yellowish generally in 

 life, with dark specks. 



Gymnothorax goldsboroughi Jordan and Evermann, a synonym of the above species, 

 differs from our example in coloration, as it is marked with very many minute whitish 

 or pale spots and has a distinct white fin edge, not seen in our specimen. 



Gymnothorax pictus (Ahl). 



Head about 7.75; depth at vent about 15.4; head width 2.4 in its length; head depth 

 2; snout 6; eye 8; mouth 2.8; interorbital 6. 



Body moderately long, well compressed, moderately deep, and with convexly 

 flattened sides, long tail tapering largely behind. Combined head and trunk length 

 equals rest of body. 



Head moderate, compressed, pharynx scarcely swollen, flattened sides but slightly 

 approximate below, front rather robust and upper profile little concave over eye. 

 Snout conic, tip and surface convex, length seven-eighths its width. Eye rounded, 

 little nearer upper profile than mouth, about midway in gape of latter, without eyelid. 

 Mouth moderate, horizontal, closing completely. Lips rather tough, fleshj'', and row 

 of minute papillte or filaments around edge of each. Teeth conic, entire, uniserial 

 along jaw edges. Front teeth in each jaw enlarged as patch of several (6 to 8), strong, 

 erect. Single row of small, erect conic teeth down vomer. No tongue. Upper jaw 

 sHghtly protrudes. Mandible rather low, strong, surface convex. Front nostril in 

 short, fleshy tube about half of eye. Posterior nostril simple pore nearly over middle 

 of eye within interorbital space. Interorbital convex. Occipital region well swollen 

 convexly. 



Gill-opening near median body axis, slightly inclined from horizontal, about 0.66 

 of eye. Pharynx smooth. 



Skin smooth, tough, of about uniform texture. Along each upper lip at least 6 

 distinct pores well above edge, first slightly in front of nasal tube. Pore directly above 

 upper anterior eye edge in front of posterior nostril. Pair of pores little above bases of 

 front nasal tubes, and another pair well up about midway in snout length. Four 

 distinct pores along each mandibular ramus, well below edge of lip. Lateral line not 

 developed. 



Dorsal origin about midway between posterior eye edge and front of gill-opening, 

 fin moderately high, though more elevated posteriorly, where confluent with small 

 caudal. Caudal rounded, about long as eye. Anal similar to dorsal, though much 

 lower. Vent about an eye diameter in front of anal origin. 



Color in alcohol, olive-brownish generally, washed with pale lilac-gray, producing a 

 more or less uniform tint. Though visible to the naked eye as very fine reticulations 

 or specks, under a lens bodj^ seen to be everywhere marked with dusky to blackish- 

 brown vermiculations, extremely minute, though well defined. End of tail and 

 muzzle tinged slightly more brownish. No dusky blotch at gill-opening, or at mouth 

 corner ; latter pale inside. Iris dull slaty. Teeth pale. 



One 115 mm. long, from Pago Pago. It differs from any example of the species 

 we have seen in its very minute, dark vermiculations. Among the many figures of 

 Bleeker is none of the small size of our own example or with its color pattern. 



