THE FISHES OF SAMOA. 199 



186. Gymnothorax tsenioides (Gunther). Samoa. 

 Murxna txnioides Gunther, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, 074, Savaii i Samoa). 



This species is quite unlike any taken by us in Samoa. We have not seen it. 



187. Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & Schneider. Samoa; Fate, New Hebrides (Seale); Easl 



Indies. 

 Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 525, taf. 105, Tranquebar. 



Mursena tessellata Richard on, Ichth. Sulphur, 1U9, pi. 55, ligs. 5-8, 1845. Gunther, Cat., VIII, 106, Zanzibar, East Indies. 

 Gymnothorax tessellatus Meeker, Atlas, 93, tab. x.xvn, fig. 3; pi. 28, tig. 1. 

 Mu rxna python Kaup, Apodes, 68, fig. 53, Africa. 



Of this East Indian species we have one small example from Samoa. It much resembles Bleek- 

 er's figure of Gymnothorax: tessellatus. Apparently <!. isingteeim, with the spots separated by broad 

 interspaces of the ground color, is a different species. 



Color in life of a specimen from Pago Pago, pale yellowish olive, with four rows of blackish olive 

 spots along the side, larger than eye on body, smaller on head, very regular, a similar row on dorsal 

 and anal; belly also spotted; the ground color reduced to a broad net-work around the spots. 



188. Gymnothorax polyophthalmus (Bleeker). Samoa; Caroline Is.; East Indies. 

 MunenapolyophthalmaEleeker, Act. Soc. Ned.Ind.,nr, Celebes, x, 15, Celebes. 



Of this species, hitherto known from one small example, we have two examples equally small, from 

 Apia, and a larger one, 8.75 inches long, from Kusai Island, Caroline Group. All of them resemble 

 Bleeker's figure very closely. The body is covered with many black spots on a light ground, the 

 largest of them being rings with a yellow center. 



Color in spirits, light olive, almost white below, witli about three rows of dark olive spots as large 

 as eye, each 'Spot being ring-like with a yellowish center of the ground-color; besides these many 

 small dark spots and specks; a row of ring-like spots on dorsal with many smaller specks; a row of 

 blackish spots along base of anal; posterior half of dorsal and whole of anal with a broad unspotted 

 edge; spots anteriorly very small; scattering spots on chin and belly; gill-opening pale; no spot at 

 angle of mouth. 



189. Gymnothorax stellatus (Lacepede). Pmipulepule. Samoa; New Britain; East Indies. 

 Mursenophis stellatus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, pp. 622, 029, 644, 1803, New Britain. 



Mursena jtmoriata Bennett, Proc. Comra. Zool. Soc, 1,1831,168. Gunther, Cat., vur, 108, Borneo, Amboina, Port 



Essington. 

 Mursaia Irullalu Richardson, Voy. Erebus and Terror, S6, 1846, Borneo. 

 Mursena isingleenoides Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen., xxv, Mur., 4s, East Indies. 

 Gj/iniinthnrax isingleenoides Bleeker, Atlas, Muraenidse, 91, tab. xxxv, fig. 1, East Indies. 



Of this strongly marked species we have eight specimens from Apia. Laeepede's stellatus, with 

 two rows of black spots, is probably the same as the fimbrialus of Bennett. 



Color in life of one specimen, body pale reddish olive with many purplish black spots, irreg- 

 ular in form, about as large as eye; the oblong spots longer, the spots all narrower than the inter- 

 spaces; spots arranged in about 3 rows, with a row also on dorsal fin and the lower row extending on 

 anal; belly pale, unspotted; dorsal and anal with a yellowish margin, broader on anal, which is mostly 

 pale; head with much smaller spots," sparsely placed; folds on neck dark, conspicuous; gill-opening 

 pale; angle of mouth with a small black spot, a whitish spot before it on the lower jaw only: chin 

 and snout dark. 



190. Gymnothorax huroensis (Bleeker). Caroline Is. ; Samoa; East Indies. 



Mursena huroensis Bleeker. Nat. Tijds. Ned. Ind., vm, 79. Buro. 



Gymnothorax burot nsis, Bleeker, Atlas, Murcenida-, 93, tab. \i„ fig. 1, East Indies. 



Of this species we have 10 specimens from Samoa and three from the island of Kusai, in the 

 Carolines, collection of Mr. A. P. Lundin. The species is always very dark, with darker si u its and 

 markings, which vary considerably with age and shade of color. The tip of the tail is always white. 

 We identify our specimens with bwroensk with a little doubt, but there is no other species with which 

 we can place them. 



Color in life of a specimen from Apia, dark brown, a little paler below; dorsal tin high, with very 

 obscure black bars, and behind edged with light orange; tin- body also faintly barred with dark. r. 

 This coloration was seen in three young examples obtained from a cracked coral head. 



