100 CATALOGUE OF FISH. 



The individual represented in fig. 11 [Ereb. d Terr.) has three 

 rows of sjiots ; the lower row, which ceases about half-way between 

 the vent and the point of the tail, being composed of spots which 

 do not branch like the others. The ground-colour is also every- 

 where thickly marked with black specks, e.\cept on the belly, where 

 the specks are few. The under surface of the belly, before and 

 behind the vent, is represented in fig. 15 of that plate. The For- 

 sters observed this variety at Otaheite ; and George Forster's 

 drawing differs only in showing fewer ventral spots. The native 

 name of " Pipiro " is written on the drawing, and in the Descript. 

 Animal, it is said to be also called " Boohee." The colour is de- 

 scribed thus : " Color totius corporis lutescenti albus, liiieis, punctis, 

 macidisquefiisco-niijrisvarieijatus. Abdomen album, maculis fuscis 

 siibfasciatmn." (Forster, lib. citat.) 



Of fourteen specimens of these varieties, no two exactly resemble 

 one another in their markings. The dorsal begins before the gill- 

 opening in all, and the anus is nearly median, being in one a little 

 before the middle of the fish, but in most a little behind, not, how- 

 ever, exceeding a twenty-fourth part of the whole length. As in 

 all the bluut-toothed Murana, the gape of the mouth is compara- 

 tively small. (Richardson.) 



The length of the specimens varies from 5 to 20 in. 



Indian Ocean (Hardic). Chinese Sea (Belcher). Coasts of Aus- 

 tralia (Bijnoe). Polynesian Archipelago (Solander, Forster). Japan 

 (Schlegel). 



According to Peters, the Murana ophis (Riipp. All. t. '29, f. 2 ; 

 Rich., Ereb. d Terr. p. 93) is identical with P. varierjata, and my 

 opinion coincides with his, since there is much variation in the 

 dentition of this species. Figure 67 d. represents the teeth of the 

 uppei- jaw in a specimen referred to ojjhis, and described in the 

 " Ichth. of the Voy. of the Ereb. and Terr.," as quoted above. 



175. POECILOPHIS CATENATUS. 



Mursena catenata, Pdch., Ereb. d Terr. p. 95. 

 Gymnothorax catenatus, Bloch, t. 415 ; B'jst- 528. 

 Mursenophis ondule, Lac. v., 19, 2. 



Nasal teeth biserial, conical, bluntish, about 12 in each row, set 

 alternately, and enclosing a horse-shoe-shaped area, the posterior 

 ones being the stoutest, but none of them high. From 2 to 4 

 stout conical teeth on the mesial line ; and in one colourless speci- 

 men, these teeth, and those of the inner marginal row, are so 

 large as nearly to fill the entire disk. Vomerine teeth biserial, 

 small, and rounded, of different sizes. Palatine teeth also biserial, 

 12 or ] 3 in each row; the outer ones low, even, and bluntish, 

 scarcely rising above the soft parts ; the inner ones higher, conical 

 or conico-subulate, and not so closely set ; the teeth of both rows 

 smaller than the nasal ones. MandiViular teeth likewise biserial, 



