608 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SPECIES OF MURjENA. 
a. Teeth of sides of upper jaw* in one series; all the teeth uniserial in the adult 
(sometimes biserial in young, in upper jaw). 
b. Mouth capable of being completely closed, the jaws being nearly straight along 
the commissure. 
c. Body without sharply defined round pale spots. Ground color leather-brown, 
with large, irregular whitish or yellowish blotches inclosing brown 
spots; head and neck freckled with whitish spots; spots on tail smaller 
and more definite ; anal fin with whitish spots. Teeth all uniserial, 
those of jaws large and strong, three canines in the front of vomerine 
series ; eye 2 \ in snout, placed over middle of gape ; head 2{ to 3 in trunk : 
tail £ longer than rest of body Helena, 33. 
cc. Body with round pale spots most numerous on the belly and tail. Teeth 
all uniserial, entire, directed backwards, most of them movable ; lower 
teeth 12 on each side rather remote and comparatively large ; no larger 
canines in front of upper jaw ; teeth of upper jaw subequal, about 12 
on each side, those in front smallest; vomerine teeth small, uniserial, 
directed backward ; posterior nasal tubes well developed, nearly as 
large as anterior; dorsal beginning before gill-opening; eye over middle 
of gape, 2-J in snout ; snout 2 in gape; head 2$ in trunk; gape 2\ in 
head ; head and trunk a trifle shorter than tail. Color very dark leather- 
brown or almost black; throat marbled with paler; a black spot around 
gill-opening; dorsal mottled with grayish ; posterior part of body with 
a few scattered round grayish spots about as large as pupil; these 
irregular in size and position and rather faint, most numerous around 
vent and on anal fin ; sides of tail nearly or quite plain ; angle of mouth 
dark Insularum, 34. 
ccc. [Body with three rows of diffuse yellowish blotches including fine spots. 
Color clear brown with a reddish tinge ; very small yellow spots cover- 
ing head, body, and fins, mixed here and there with larger spots ; large 
yellowish blotches arranged in three rows along the body ; the lower 
row fainter than upper. Teeth all uniserial; those of upper jaw strong, 
sharp-pointed, recufved ; vomerine teeth much smaller, preceded by two 
long canines; head 6£ in total length; eye 2\ in snout; snout 5£ in 
head.] ( Steindachner ) Argus, 35. 
bb. Jaws curved along the gape so that they can not be completely closed. Body 
covered by well-defined reticulations, inclosing light yellowisli-broAvn 
spots, which posteriorly are arranged in groups of 5 to 8 ; gill-opening 
largely black, within a conspicuous dark blotch ; angle of mouth with 
a dark spot ; inside of mouth with yellowish brown spots ; vomerine 
teeth small, sharp; teeth all uniserial, large and strong in the jaws; 
those in front not enlarged ; head 2f to 3 in trunk ; tail a little longer 
than rest of body Retifera, 36. 
aa. Teeth of sides of upper jaw biserial, those of the inner series larger and farther 
apart. 
d. Jaws capable of being completely closed. 
e. Body profusely spotted; angle of mouth with little or no black; gill- 
opening dusky ; general color brown, the body with light yellow, dis- 
tinctly brown-edged spots, which are about as large as pupil of eye, 
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; teeth of upper jaw biserial, the inner 
* Not veritied in Murcena qrgus, which may belong to aa. 
