182 FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



EPINEPHELUS TAUVINA, Forsk. 



Epinephelus tauvina, Forsk., sp., Descr. Anim., p. 39 ; Bleeker, 

 Atlas Ichth., pi. cclxxxiii., fig. 1. 



Greatly esteemed as food on the island and fished for with 

 hook and line, both within the lagoon and from the outer reefs. 

 In the absence of a good series (having only one example) I 

 cannot be certain of the identification, its characters, however, 

 agree most nearly with the descriptions of this widely distributed 

 Indo-Pacific species. It is evidently a young fish, measuring 

 only 272 millim. 



The native name is "Mou." 



EPINEPHELUS MERRA, Bloch. 



Epinephelus merra, Bloch., Ausl. Fische, vii., p. 17, pi. cccxxix. ; 

 Giinther, Fische der Siidsee, p. 7, pi. vii. 



One example of the typical form, namely no white spots on the 

 body, and the pectorals with round black spots. This species so 

 far as could be ascertained did not frequent the lagoon, at least 

 it was not caught there, but Mr. Hedley hooked some ofT the 

 outer reef, where they entered the crevasses and took the bait 

 greedily. The natives, it appears, at the time of the Expedition, 

 only fished the lagoon, all species from the reefs being indiscrimi- 

 nately condemned. 



Quantities of pumice were recently washed on to the beach, 

 and several of the inhabitants became ill and one died after 

 eating fish caught from the reefs. As this was supposed to be 

 in consequence of the presence of the pumice, the fish were con- 

 demned, but will again be utilised when the pumice ceases to be 

 thrown up. This ban did not refer to fishes caught in the lagoon, 

 which was free from pumice. 



As pumice is a harmless substance, Mr. Hedley suggests that 

 its occurrence was coincident with the arrival of some marine 

 organism, which might vitiate the food supply of the fish, and 

 thus indirectly have a harmful effect upon the natives. 



In this connection Wyatt Gill writes*: "On the outer edge 

 of our coral reefs exists a sea-centipede (Nereis), in appearance 

 like a black thread slowly moving amongst the rugged submarine 

 growths. The ae attains the length of five or six feet. Good 

 fish become poisonous through feeding on these sea-centipedes. 



" Strangely enough, fish that are excellent eating on one 

 island may be poisonous on another. Thus the dainty matakiva 

 of Mangaia is poisonous on the neighbouring island of Mitiaro. 

 A chief of that atoll, hearing that it is much prized in Mangaia, 



*GiU Life in the Southern Isles, 1876, p. 274. 



