SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



113 



sand in the harbor by Dr. H. E. Enders on July 31, and was kept in an aquarium 

 at the laboratory until August 18, when it died. While in captivity it remained 

 most of the time with its body completely buried in sand, its head projecting just 

 far enough to enable it to breathe. Small fishes and crab were supplied for food, 

 but none were eaten so far as observed. This fish was 89 centimeters (about 36 

 inches) long; its head was 4 cm. long, its tail 40 cm., and its pectoral fins .4 cm. 



Family MUR^NID.(E. The Morays. 



A very numerous family of sea eels, representing the most degenerate of the 

 apodal fishes. They inhabit warmer waters, live largely in the crevices of coral 

 reefs or rocks, and are pugnacious, some of the larger ones being able to inflict 

 very painful and dangerous wounds. Distinguishing features of the family are 

 absence of pectoral fixis; thick, leathery, scaleless skins; and small round bran- 

 chial openings. The posterior part of the head is elevated owing to the excessive 

 development of muscles that move the jaw, and razor-like or crushing teeth are 

 present in the narrow jaws. Of the dozen or more genera, only one is repre- 

 sented in North Carolina. 



Genus LYCODONTIS McCleUand. Morays. 



Body compressed; dorsal fitf begiiming on the head, in front of branchial 

 openings; jaw teeth all sharp; vomerine teeth in one or two series; posterior nos- 

 trils without a tube, anterior with a long tube. A numerous genus, many of the 

 species beautifully marked, living among rocks in shoal water. One species 

 strays to the North Carolina coast. {Lycodontis, wolf tooth.) 



100. LYOODONTIS OOELLATUS (Agassiz). 

 Spotted Moray. 



Gymnothorax oceUatus Agassiz, Pisces Brasilienses, 91, pi 506, 1828; Brazil. 

 Lycodontis oceUatua, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 399. 



Diagnosis. — ^Head contained 5.66 times in total length; lower jaw .5 head; jaws closing 

 almost perfectly; teeth uniserial, large,weaklyserratedon posterior edge; vomerine teeth small 

 or wanting; eye .6 snout, .12 head. Color: dark brown, with numerous round, pale yellow 

 spots, largest posteriorly; head lighter than body, reticulated, dark on occiput and between 

 eyes; lower jaw pale, with reticulations; dorsal spotted Uke body, margined with elongated 

 black blotches; anal pale, with a broad black edge. {oceUatus, covered with eye-like spots.) 



The foregoing description is based on a specimen 18.5 inches long in the Beau- 

 fort laboratory, taken at this place in the summer of 1904. Another specimen 

 12.5 inches long, obtained on Bird Shoal, Beaufort Harbor, August 20, 1903, is 

 also in the laboratory; the body is a rich brown, and some of the round yellow 

 spots on the posterior part of body are as large as eye; spots on upper part of 

 head smallest, those on cheeks elongate; head .14 total length; eye .7 snout, .12 

 head; lower jaw .4 head. 



The species ranges from the coast of the Gulf States to Brazil, and has not 

 heretofore been recorded from any point on the Atlantic coast of the United 

 States. The large example represents about the maximum size attained by the 

 species. 



