402 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Limamuriena melanotis, KAUP, Aale Hamb. Mus., 27, pi. 4, fig. 3, 1859. 



Mursena melanatis, GUNTHER, Cat., vm, 98, 1870; STEINDACHNER, Fische Afrikas, 33,1881; JORDAN 



& GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 624; JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 355, 1883. 

 Mursena melanotis, JORDAN & DAVIS, Z. c., 610. 



663. MURJENA LENTIGINOSA, Jenyns. 



(MORENA PlNTA.) 



Teeth of upper jaw biserial, the inner series of depressible cauines; 

 teeth on lower jaw and vomer uniserial; eye 2 to 2 in snout, situated 

 over the middle of gape ; cleft of mouth 2^ to 3 in head ; head 2 to 2| in 

 trunk. Jaws capable of being completely closed. Body profusely spot- 

 ted j angle of mouth with little or no black ; gill opening dusky; general 

 color brown, the body with light yellow, distinctly brown-edged spots, 

 which are about as large as pupil, sometimes larger; towards the end of 

 tail the dark edgings form brown spots ; snout, jaws, and belly spotted, 

 as also the dorsal and anal ; a faint dusky bar from base of dorsal to 

 behind cleft of mouth ; spots more numerous around gill openings. 

 Pacific Coast of America from Gulf of California to Galapagos; gener- 

 ally common, varying considerably in shade of color. (lentiginosus, 

 freckled.) 



Mursena lentiginosa, JENYNS, Voy. Beagle, Zool., 143, 1842, Galapagos Islands ; GUNTHER, Cat., 

 vm, 99, 1870. 



Mursena pinla, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 345, Mazatlan. (Type, No. 

 28238. Coll. Gilbert.) JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 371; JORDAN & GIL- 

 BERT, ibid, 381; JORDAN & DAVIS, L c., 610. 



192. ECHIDNA, Forster. 



Echidna, FORSTER, Enchiridion, 31, 1778, (variegala). 



Gymnomursena, LACPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poise., v, 648, 1803, (doliata = marmorata). 



Gymnopsis, EAFINESQUE, Analyse Nature, 1815, 93, (doliata). 



Megaderus, RAKINESQUE, 1. c., 93, (varieyata). 



Molarii, RICHARDSON, Voyage Erebus & Terror, 79, 1844, (ophis = nebulosa). 



PoRcilophis, KAUP, Apodes, 98, 1856, (catenatus). 



Gymnomursena, KAUP, Apodes, 98, 1856, (variegata = nebulosa'). 



This well-marked genus is distinguished from the other Moray s by the 

 blunt teeth. The name Echidna was suggested for this group of eels 

 long before its application by Cuvier to a genus of Australian Mono- 

 tremes. There are some 12 or 15 species of Echidna, most of them 

 belonging to the Western Pacific. This genus represents the highest 

 degree of specialization among the Moray s, as Uropterygius represents 

 the extreme of degradation. (t-^ua, t-^tf, viper.) 



a. Color dark, with small, round yellowish spots ; teeth subequal, bluntish, less obtuse than 

 in E. catenata, mostly uniserial ; dorsal high, beginning over gill opening; head 2% in 

 trunk; tail about a snout's length shorter than rest of body. NOCTURNA, 664. 



aa. Color brownish, marbled and barred with paler ; head 3 to 3% in trunk, 3% in tail. 



CATENATA, 665. 



664. ECHIDNA NOCTURNA (Cope). 



Teeth subequal, bluntish, less obtuse than in E. catenata, mostly unise- 

 rial; dorsal high, beginning over gill opening ; head short and blunt, the 

 small eye half the snout ; head 2f in trunk ; cleft of mouth 3 in head ; 



