52 MUE^NID^, 



Body short, much compressed. Nostrils ou the margin of the 

 upper lip. Pectorals nearly invisible. Vertical fins well developed, 

 dorsal commencing somewhat behind the gill-opening. 



West Indies. 



1. Cliilorliiiiiis suensonii. 

 lAitken, I. c. 



Snout short, obtuse, depressed; cleft of the mouth narrow. Tail 

 somewhat longer than the body. (Ltk.) 



St. Croix. 



19. MUEiENICHTHYS. 

 Mursenichthys, Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxv. 1853, Mur. p. 71. 



Body long, cylindrical, vermiform. Nostrils on the margin of 

 the upper lip. Pectoral fins none. Dorsal fin low, or rudimentary, 

 commencing at a great distance behind the gill-opening. Gill- 

 opening narrow. Eyes small. 



East- Indian archipelago. 



1. MursenicMhys macropterus. 



Bleek, Act. Soc. Sc. Lido-Nederl. ii. Ambai/na, viii. p. 91 ; or Atl. 

 Ichth. Mur. p. 31, pi. 7. fig. 3. 



Origin of the dorsal fin nearer to the gill-opening than to the 

 vent. Snout pointed, the greater part of the teeth biserial. The 

 cleft of the mouth extends somewhat behind the eye. 



Amboyna, Solor. 



a. Type of the species, nine inches long. Amboyna. From Dr. 



Bleeker's Collection. 



b. Fourteen inches long. Presented by the Hoyal College of 



Surgeons. 



2. Muraenichthys gynmoptems. 



Mursena gymnopterus, Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxv. Mur. p. 62. 

 Muraenichthvs gymnopterus, Bleek. I. c. p. 71 ; or Nat. Tyds. Ned. 



Ind. iv. p.' 506 ; or Atl. Ichth. Mur. p. 32, pi. 6. fig. 1. 

 microstomus, Bleek. Ned. Tyds. Vierk. ii. p. 39 ; or Atl. Ichth. 



Mur. p. 32, pi. 6. fig. 2 (mouth too small). 



Origin of the dorsal fin far in advance of the vent, and nearer to 

 it than to the giU-opening. Snout obtuse. Teeth obtuse, forming 

 bands. The cleft of the mouth extends considerably behind the eye. 



Java, Celebes, Batu. 

 a. Type of M. gymnopterus. From Dr. Bleeker's Collection. 

 h. Type of M. microstomus. Makassar. From Dr. Bleeker's Col- 

 lectic^. — In this specimen the cleft of the mouth is of the same 

 width as in the other. 



3. Muraenichthys schultzii. 



Bleek. Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. xiii. p. 366 ; or Atl. Ichth. Mur. p. 33, 

 pi. 4. fig. 3. 



Body short. Origin of the dorsal fin nearly opposite to the vent. 



