FISHES OF THE PHOEjSIX ;VND SAjSIOAN ISLANDS 11 



Family MURAENIDAE ^ (ANGUILLIDAE of authors) 



KEY TO THE MURAENIDAE FROM THE SAMOAN ISLANDS IN THE NATIONAL 



MUSEUM 



1«. Distance from origin of dorsal to a vertical line through anus about equal 

 to head, always more than one-half length of head. 

 2'i. A distinct edentulous groove between outer rows of teeth and an inner 

 row of teeth on both maxillary and deutary ; origin of dorsal a tritle 

 nearer gill openings than anus; color somewhat mottled. 



Muraena mauritiana (Bennett) 



2b. No edentulous groove on either maxillary or dentary, teeth somewhat 



compact, villil'orm ; origin of dorsal tin much nearer anus than gill 



openings ; distance from origin of dorsal to a line through anus a little 



shorter than head ; color somewhat mottled. 



Muraena celebesensis (Kaup) 

 ] b. Distance from origin of dorsal to a vertical line through anus equal to less 

 than one half length of head; origin of dorsal is over or a little in front of 

 anus ; teeth without edentulous groove on either maxillary or dentary. 



Muraena australis (Richardson) 



Genus MURAENA Linnaeus 



Muraena Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, p. 244, 1758. (Genotype, Muraena 

 angiiilhi Linnaeus, type designated by Bleeker, Ned. Tijdsch. Dierk., vol. 2, 

 p. 133, 1SG5. ) 



AtiffiiiUa Shaw, General zoology, vol. 4, p. 15, 1803. (Type, Muraena anguilla 

 Linnaeus, designated by Jordan and Evermann, Genera of fishes, 1917.) 



MURAENA MAURITIANA (Bennett) 



Figure 2, i 



AnguiUa mauritiana Bennett, Proc. Comm. Zool. Soc. London, p. 128, 1831. 



115071, Tutuila Island, creek at Pago Pago, June 6, 1039, 1 specimen. 525 mm. 

 89809, Samoan Island, Capt. J. P. Ault, 2 specimens. 

 52423, Apia, Samoa, Jordan and Kellogg, 3 specimens. 



MURAENA CELEBESENSIS (Kaup) 



Figure 5, a 



Anguilla celebesensis Kaup, Catalogue of the apodal fish in the collection of the 

 British Museum, p. 42, fig. 31, 1856. 



52511, Apia, Samoa, Jordan and Kellogg, 1 specimen. 



MURAENA AUSTRALIS (Richard.son) 



Anguilla australis Richardson, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1841, p. 22. 

 52489, Samoa, Jordan and Kellogg, 1 specimen. 



3 I am using the name "Muraenidae" in this report mostly to bring out the problem in 

 eonnection with the nomenclature of the group. LInfortunately, Jordan overlooked Bleeker's 

 type designation, which should be considered before this name of tlie family is rejected. 



