382 



extending to below eye and upperlip, lower jaw with white 

 round spots and bands. Length 450 mm. 



Habitat: South coast of Java (Wijnkoops Bay!). Philip- 

 pines; Tahiti; Rotuma. 



1 6. Muraena (Gymnothorax) margaritophora Blkr. 



t Muraena stellifera Richardson, Zool. Voyage Erebus & Terror, 1844, p. 86. 

 Gymnothorax margaritophorus Bleeker, Ned. Tijdschr. Dierk. II. (1864) 1865, 



p. 53. Atl. Ichth. IV. 1864, p. 97. 



? Muraena stellifera Giinther, Cat. Brit. Mus. VIII. 1870, p. 101. 

 Gymnothorax talofa Jordan & Scale, Bull. Bur. Fish. XXV. (1905) 1906, p. 201. 

 Lycodontis margaritophorus Douglas Ogilby, Mem. Queensland Mus. I. 1912, p. 34. 



Height 16 20. Head 7 7.3, 2 2.3 in trunk. Head and 

 trunk 1.2 1.3 in tail. Eye about 8, less than twice in snout, 

 which is rather sharp. Cleft of mouth 2'/ 4 2 J / 2 in head. Jaws 

 not shutting completely. Dorsal beginning before gillopenings. 

 Dorsal and anal moderately developed. Maxillaries with an 

 outer series of about 1 5 rather small compressed teeth, and an 

 anterior inner row of about 5 longer ones. On the inter- 

 maxillary plate a peripheral series of about 15 teeth, most of 

 them much longer than those of the maxillaries and mesially 

 a series of 2 or 3 fang-like ones. A single series of 5 or more 

 small teeth on vomer. Mandibles with a series of closely set, 

 rather short compressed teeth, about 22 on each side; near 

 the symphysis 4 or 5 canines, irregularly biserial. Reddish 

 brown, lighter below. A large oblong black patch on the tem- 

 poral region, beginning immediately behind eye and sometimes 

 broken up in 3 or 4 smaller spots. Sometimes some smaller 

 spots on the cheek. Body and tail with 3 or 4 longitudinal 

 rows of white spots or vertical stripes. Dorsal posteriorly with 

 a white margin. Length over 200 mm. [Type of the species 

 in the British Museum seen by us]. 



Habitat: Ambon!. -- Queensland, Samoa. 



Note. Only four specimens, all of small size, are known of 

 this strikingly coloured species. GONTHER (Fische der Siidsee, 

 Heft IX. 1910, p. 413) united it with M. undulata. It may 

 be possible that it is a young stage of this species, but as no 

 transitional stages are known, as far as we are aware, we think 

 it better to keep it as a distinct species for the present. 



