390 Bulletin ^7, United States National Museum. 



of these, continuous with the outer series, are 3 fixed, knife-shaped teeth, 

 then a movable tooth, then 3 fixed teeth ; on the middle line of vomer 3 

 depreseible fangs, the posterior the largest of the teeth ; in the lower jaw 

 a single series, corresponding to the outer series in the upper jaw, some 

 of the front teeth enlarged and fixed. Dark brown, vaguely reticulated 

 with narrow, paler markings and spots; a round dark blotch about gill 

 opening; lower side of head and throat with about 15 dark lengthwise 

 streaks; belly with similar streaks running crosswise; dark line on each 

 side of base of anal, with short cross branches. Reaches a length of five 

 feet. Point Concepcion to Cerros Island ; abundant about the Santa Bar- 

 bara islands, remarkable for its ferocity. A food fish of some importance. 

 (mordax, prone to bite.) 

 Mnrmm mordax, Ayres, Troc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Cal., 1859, 30, Cerros Island ; .Joupan & Gilbert, 



Synopsis, ,S5n, 188:i ; .Jordan, Proc. U.S.Nat. Miis., 1880, ,30. 

 Sulera mordax, Jordan k Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mue., 1883, 210. 

 Gymnolhorax mordax, Jordan & Davis, I. c, 610. 



650. LTCODOXTIS FUXEBRIS (Ranzaui). 



(Black Moray ; Morena Verde.) 



Tail a little longer than head, and trunk. Teeth uuiserial in the jaws in 

 the adults ; teeth on vomer uniserial (var. ? erebus), or biserial (fimehris); 

 long, depressible canines on front of vomer; eye 2 to 21 in snout, above 

 middle of gape ; cleft of mouth 2^ in head ; head 21 in trunk. Color dark 

 olive brown, nearly plain, paler on throat, sometimes with very faint 

 darker marblings ; dorsal and anal fins with dark lines running longitudi- 

 nally ; belly without black transverse lines. Jaws not completely clos- 

 ing. Tropical America, on both coasts ; the largest of our eels, reaching 5 

 or 6 feet or more ; extremely ferocious ; common from Florida Keys to Rio 

 Janeiro, and from Gulf of California to Panama.* A very similar species 

 {prasinus) regarded by Dr. Gunther as the same, occurs in the East Indies. 

 (funehris, funereal, from its dark color.) 



Miiritna maailata niyra el viridi^, {The Moray), CATEsny, Nat. Hist. Carolina, pi. 20, 1738, 



Bahamas. 

 GymnoOwrax funebrii, Ranzani, Nov. Comm. Ac. Sc. Inst. Bonon., iv, Tfi, 1840, Brazil ; Jordan 



& Davis, I. <:, 603. 

 Murirma lineopinnis, Richardson, Voy. Erebus &, Terror, Fish., 80, 1844, Puerto Cabello. 

 T^niophis weslphali, Kaup, Aale Hamburg Muk. Nachtrag., 1, 1859. 

 Thyrsoidea aterrima, Kaup, Aale Hamburg Mus., 22, 1859. 

 Muritna infernalis, PoEV, Meniorias, ii, 347, 354, I8G0, Cuba. 

 Thyisoidea concolor, Ahmott, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 18r>0, 479, Vera Cruz. 

 Miirxna erebus, Poey, Meniorias, ii, 426, 1860, Cuba. 

 Sidera castanea, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 047, Mazatlan, (Type, Nos. 



28246, 29,535, and 29591. Coll. Gilbert.) 

 Muneiia afra, GOnther, Cat., viii, 123, 1870, (not after Bloch, wliicli is more like moringa). 

 Mioiena aterrima, Gi'NTHER, Cat., viii, 124, 1870. 

 Sidera funehris, Bean & Dresel, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 169. 



* Lycodontis castanetis of the Pacific is probably distinct from Lycodontin funehris. 



