166 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
side. Origin of dorsal midway between gill-opening and angle of mouth; height of dorsal 2 in 
distance from tip of snout to posterior edge of orbit; anal much lower than dorsal. 
Color in alcohol, rich purplish brown or wine-color, almost uniform over entire body and head; 
side of head with about 7 shallow longitudinal grooves which are darker than ground-color; under side 
of lower jaw yellowish white, blotched with brown; throat blotched with yellowish white and brown; 
gill-opening rather paler than surrounding parts; body everywhere with numerous, but very obscure, 
dark points, posteriorly with numerous narrow vertical dark lines appearing as shallow grooves in the 
skin; dorsal and anal fins uniform dark brown, not white-edged; tip of tail not white. 
The only specimen of this species which we have is the type, No. 50615, U. S. N. M. (field 
No. 03726), 29 inches long, obtained by Messrs. Goldsborough and Sindo, at Kailua, Hawaii. 
5. Gymnothorax steindachneri Jordan & Evermann, new species. 
Head 7.3 in length; depth 9.5; eye 9.5 in head; snout 5; interorbital 7.2; gape 2; distance from 
from tip of snout to vent less than distance from vent to tip of tail by more than half length of head. 
Body moderately long and slender, much compressed; head small; snout small and pointed, the 
anterior dorsal profile concave above the eyes; the nape and sides of head much swollen; gape long, 
extending far behind eye; lower jaw shorter than the upper, curved so that the mouth does not quite 
completely close; lips moderately thick, entirely covering the teeth in the closed mouth; eye small, 
about midway between tip of snout and angle of mouth; teeth on sides of upper jaw in a single series, 
rather close-set, short, compressed, triangular canines, those in front scarcely enlarged; vomer with a 
single row of bluntly rounded teeth; each side of lower jaw with a single series of rather strong, back- 
wardly directed canines, the anterior ones somewhat enlarged, those on tip of jaw movable'; anterior 
nostril in a long tube, its length about half diameter of eye, situated near tip of snout just above lip; 
posterior nostril without tube, just above anterior edge of eye; pores on sides of jaws inconspicuous. 
Origin of dorsal fin about midway between gill-opening and angle of mouth, its height about equal to 
length of snout; anal similar to soft dorsal, but much lower; tail moderately slender and pointed; aseries 
of inconspicuous pores along middle of side; gill-opening a long oval slit exceeding diameter of orbit. 
Color in alcohol, pale brown or w'hitish, sprinkled with ragged or dendritic brown spots formed 
more or less into irregular vertical blotches or crossbands; margins of fins narrowly creamy w'hite or 
yellowish, that of the anal much wider; corner of mouth and space about gill-opening deep blackish- 
brown; about 5 longitudinal blackish-brown grooves on lower side of head; under side of lower jaw 
with 2 blackish longitudinal lines which meet at an acute angle under chin; throat and belly creamy 
white, with few scattered brownish markings; sides and top of head whitish, with small, sparingly 
scattered, irregular brownish spots most numerous around and between the eyes. 
This species is related to G. kidako (Schlegel), from which it differs much in coloration, the 
present species being much paler and less reticulated, the angle of the mouth with more black, the 
gill -opening being surrounded by a broad black area (nearly or quite absent in kidako ) , and in having 
the w'hite border to the dorsal fin much more distinct. 
This species is known only from Laysan (whence Dr. Steindaehner had 2 examples) and from 
Honolulu, w'here the Albatross obtained 1 specimen in 1891 and the Fish Commission 3 examples in 1901. 
The specimens from Laysan which Dr. Steindaehner identified w'ith Murxna flavomarginata 
Riippell, and of which he gives a good figure, evidently belong to this species. As suspected by Dr. 
Steindaehner, the species is quite different from G.flavomarginatus, of which species we have examined 
several specimens from Pedang, on the west coast of Sumatra. The present species is therefore known 
from the 2 examples which Dr. Steindaehner had from Laysan, one specimen obtained by the Albatross 
at Honolulu in 1891, and 3 specimens secured by us at Honolulu in 1901. 
Field No. 
Length. 
Locality. 
Final disposition of specimen. 
03775 
04904 
04905 
1318 
Inches. 
24 
14 
8 
17 
Honolulu 
do 
do 
Honolulu (Albatross) 
Type, No. 50016, TJ. S. N. M. 
Cotype, No. 7447, L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus. 
Cotype, No. 2697, U. S. F. C. 
Murxna flavomarginata var., Steindaehner, Dents. At. Wiss. Wien, lxx, 1900, 514, pi. vi, fig. 3 (Laysan); not of Ruppell. 
