﻿38r 



Note. GiJNTHER (Cat. Brit. Mus. VIII, p. 117) united this 

 species with M. nubila Rich., but afterwards (Sudseefische, I.e.) he 

 separated it again, as no transitions between the typical colo- 

 ration of the head oi M. chilospilus and that of M. nubila could 

 be found. He remarks, that all specimens known are of com- 

 parative small size and that therefore it may be the young 

 stage of an other species. In our material however we have a 

 specimen from Kei-Islands of 240 mm. in which the ovaria 

 contain well developed, although not quite ripe eggs. This 

 species is closely related to M. zonipectis (Scale), which has 

 however an other pattern of the spots on the head, and to 

 M. richardsoni. From lastnamed species it may be distinguished 

 by its more pointed snout, its longer tail, smaller gillopenings 

 and by having generally only one row of teeth on the vomer. 



15. Muraena (Gymnothorax) zonipectis (Scale) 

 [Fig. 181, p. 360]. 



Gymnothorax zonipectis Scale, Occ. Papers Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. IV. 



1906, p. 7. 

 Gymnothorax indong Scale, Philippine Journ. of Science IV. 1909. p. 491. 

 Mu7-aena zonipectus Giinther, Fische d. Siidsee, Heft IX. 1910, p. 415. 



Height about 17; head 6.'/; 2 — 2 '/a in trunk. Head and trunk 

 one length of head or less shorter than tail. Eye about 10, 

 nearly twice in snout, situated above posterior half of cleft of 

 mouth, which goes about 2.5 times, the snout about 5.5 times 

 in length of head. Tube of anterior nostrils nearly thrice in 

 length of snout. Dorsal rather low, commencing above gill- 

 openings. Teeth conical, acute, 14 — 16 small ones in maxillaries, 

 with 2 — 4 stouter ones anteriorly at inner side of them. On inter- 

 maxillary plate a peripheral series of about 12 caniniform, com- 

 pressed teeth; two mesial teeth, an anterior shorter and a 

 posterior very long one, in the level of the most posterior 

 teeth of the peripheral series of the intermaxillary plate, both 

 are depressible. A few teeth on vomer in a single series. In 

 each mandible about 25 or more compressed teeth in a single 

 series, the most anterior caniniform. Reddish brown with 2 — 5 

 longitudinal rows of darkbrown dendritic spots, which are more 

 or less transversely united into narrow crossbands, which are 

 most conspicuous on the fins. Head mottled with white and 

 brown. Behind eye a large darkbrown spot, bordered superiorly 

 by a narrow white line, inferiorly by a broad white band 



