THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 133 



parts of head conspicuously black; gill opening with an elongate black 

 blotch below, its upper margin only a little darker than sm-rounding 

 parts, not ringed with white, though with enlarged pale spots fore 

 and aft; dorsal and anal distally and around tail with conspicuous 

 white margin, becoming broken and spotted farther forward. The 

 smaller specimen with obscure pale blotches, with rather larger and 

 more conspicuous round, white spots, more distinctly ringed with 

 black; otherwise as in the larger one. 



The Mission secured two specimens, 575 and 325 mm. long, of this 

 apparently new eel. The larger one, designated as the type (U.S.N.M. 

 No. 127840), was taken at Lobos de Afuera Island with a hand line; 

 the smaller one in Lobos de Afuera Bay. The proportions given 

 first pertain to the type. 



This is the fifth species of this genus recognized from the tropical 

 Pacific coast of America. It seems to differ from all the others in 

 having a larger eye, shorter snout, and a rather smaller mouth, as 

 well as in color. It probably is nearest to M. insularum Jordan and 

 Davis, known from the Galdpagos Islands, of which a specimen is 

 before me (U.S.N.M. No. 107048). In the GaUpagos specimen the 

 gape is contained 2.1, the snout 4.9, and the eye 13.4 times in the head, 

 and the eye 2.75 in the snout. The tube of the anterior nostril is 

 shorter, failing to reach the margin of the lip if drawn forward and 

 downward, and the posterior nostril is farther forward, being almost 

 wholly in advance of anterior margin of eye. The Galdpagos speci- 

 men also is much darker in color, being very dark brown and with- 

 out large pale blotches, but with reticulations on the head and small 

 irregular pale markings on body, and fewer pale spots on the sides, 

 none of which are ringed with black. Unlike M. alhigutta, the black 

 in the angle of the mouth is preceded by a prominent pale spot on the 

 lower jaw, and the margins of the fins are not white or pale spotted as 

 in M. alhigutta. The name alhigutta is in allusion to the white or pale 

 dots on the body. 



Range. — Only the type from Lobos de Afuera Island and a para- 

 type from Lobos de Afuera Bay are known. 



Genus PRIODONOPHIS Kaup, 1860 



This genus differs from Gymnothorax chiefly in having compressed, 

 serrated, sharklike teeth, in a single series in each jaw,^ small ones 

 present or absent on vomer. Priodonophis, which has Gymnothorax 

 ocellatus Agassiz as genotype, has long been considered as of only 

 subgeneric rank. However, the serrated, sharklike teeth in the jaws 

 seem to justify its recognition as a separate and distinct genus. 



A single species, which appears to be new, comes within the scope 

 of the present work. 



• The new species herein described has a few to several depressible teeth in an inner series on one or both 

 sides of the lower jaw, while those in upper jaw are in a single series throughout. 

 624264—45 10 



