FISHES OF THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS 51 



of the eye, the openmg covered by a flap of skin ; the upper part of 

 the head is more than twice as wide as the narrow lower jaw ; near tip 

 of snout are three pairs of pores ; there are no pores on dorsal surface 

 of head in front of, between, or behind the eyes; between the two 

 nostrils occur two pores on each side; under the eye are two pores; 

 lateral line pores absent; head, especially obvious on snout, and lips 

 of both jaws are covered with very fine prickles or minute micro- 

 scopical papillae more or less arranged in rows ; gill openings a little 

 l)elow the midaxis of the body ; dorsal and anal fins continuous with 

 the caudal fin; anal fin origin immediately behind anus. 



Color brown, the dorsal and anal fins pale, grading into white 

 distally ; pectoral fin paler than body ; caudal fin pale around edges, 

 its middle brownish. 



Remarks. — This new species of eel differs from all other forms 

 referred to the family Echelidae in the peculiar dentition of the 

 vomer and front of lower jaw; the vomer has two diverging rows of 

 teeth anteriorly tb.at converge into one posteriorly, and three pairs 

 of canines next to the midline of the lower jaw near its tip, a condi- 

 tion that I have not found in other genera or species of echelid eels. 

 Also there are no pores in front of, between, or behind the eyes on the 

 top of the head as usually found in these eels; the lower jaw is much 

 narrower and there are rows of minute papillae (perhaps associated 

 with microscopical pores) on the head that distinguish this species 

 from all others. 



Named dlodontus in reference to the two rows of teeth on the 

 vomer. 



Genus MURAENICHTHYS Bleeker 



Muracnichthijs B'eeker, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind., vol. 4, p. 50G, 1853. (Type 

 df^siynated Muyaenichihys gymnoptcnis Bleeker, by Bleeker, Ned. Tijdschr. 

 Dierk., vol. 2, p. 117 (5), 1865.) 



MURAENICHTHYS MACROPTERUS Bleeker 



Figure 5, f 



Murarvichthys ruacrnplcrus Bleekek, Soc. lud. Neorl. Act. (Amboyna) vol. 2, 

 p. 91, 1857. 



115982, Canton Island, reef of widest shallow channel, May 13, 1939, 1 

 specimen, 245 mm. 



115985, Canton Island, lagoon, April 23 to May 12, 1939, 12 specimens, 1G3 

 to 256 mm. 



115984, Canton Island, lagoon, May 23-25, 1930, 24 specimens, 1G3 to 268 mm. 



115983, Tntnila Island, Cocoanut Point, Jnue 4, 1939, 1 specimen, 185 mm. 



MURAENICHTHYS FOWLERI, new species 



I'LATE 7 ; Figure 5, c 



Tlolotype. — A specimen 104 mm. in total length (U. S. N. M. No. 

 115972, collected by Leonard P. Schultz on the reef of Tau Island, 



