FISHES OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
89 
separated by a narrow brown line; last V-shaped white bar extending across angle of mouth and form¬ 
ing a large white area at base of upper jaw, behind which the angle of the mouth is dark brown; inside 
of mouth mottled brown and white; nasal filaments mottled with brown ami white; throat light brown, 
with large white spots, some of which unite to form oblong spots or lines; gill-opening not surrounded 
by dark; anal fin dark brown, crossed by about 28 short white bars; posterior portion of tail crossed 
by about 12 distinct but somewhat irregular vertical white bars, which extend upon dorsal and anal 
fins; tip of tail brownish black, with 1 or 2 whitish specks. 
We have examined the following specimens of this form: The type, from Kailua, Hawaii; a 
specimen sent from Laysan Island by Mr. Max Schlemmer; one from Honolulu, sent by Mr. K. L. 
Berndt; one collected by the Albatross at Honolulu, and another at station 3881, in Napili Harbor, 
Maui. 
This species is subject to great variations, especially in color. The form described by Jenkins 
as Mursena lampra has been described as follows: 
Head 3.25 in trunk; head and trunk 2.25 in tail; eye 1.67 in snout; interorbital space 1.5 in eye; 
snout about 5.3 in head; mouth about 2.2. 
Body rather short, deep, compressed, the tail tapering posteriorly; head elongate, deep, com¬ 
pressed; snout long, conical, pointed, tip rounded, not produced; eyes lateral, much nearer corners of 
Fig. 21 .—Mursena Jcailuat Jordan & Evermann. Type of M. kauila Jenkins. 
mouth than tip of snout ; jaws rather large, equal, mouth not completely closing, so that some of the 
teeth are always more or less visible; teeth in jaws varying, some of them more or less fang-like, in 2 
series in upper jaw posteriorly, the inner enlarged and (Impressible; vomer with 2 large depressible 
fangs in front, followed by a median series of small teeth; nostrils all in tubes, the posterior pair about 
as long as eye; interorbital space very narrow; gill-openings small, about midway in depth of body; 
head with a number of pores; origin of dorsal about over last, third of space between corner of mouth 
and gill-opening, the fin rather high, decreasing posteriori}-; anal similar to dorsal; caudal small and 
confluent with dorsal and anal. 
Color in life, very bright, the groundwork of light brown, with conspicuous white spots inter¬ 
mingled with black and brown spots; 3 longitudinal rows of white spots on body, one row on outer 
margin of dorsal and a row of large white spots or blotches across the ventral surface, largest between 
head and anal fin; black as well as brown spots small, irregularly placed, but generally following the 
line of rows of white spots; very brilliant red on snout and jaws; no dark margin to gill-opening. 
The above description is based upon the type (No. 50080, l\ S. Nat. Mus. ), a specimen 7.75 inches 
long, collected in 1889 by Dr. Jenkins from the coral reef in front of Honolulu. Another example 
(No. 03709), 19 inches long, was obtained for us at Kailua, Hawaii, by Mr. Goldsborough. 
