104 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Color i 11 alcohol, deep brown above, everywhere clouded and mottled with darker, also marked 
with very line pale broken reticulations, and sides with rather large blotches of deep brown; lower 
surface of body soiled whitish; gill-openings pale. 
This description is based chiefly upon an example (No. 03724), 28 inches long, from Kailua, 
Hawaii. Our collection contains 8 fine specimens (Nos. 03710, 03711, 03717, 03720, 03721, 03722, 03724, 
and 03725) from the same place, and one (No. 03394) from Honolulu. Other specimens were obtained 
by the Albatross in 1902 at Honolulu and Puako Bay, Hawaii. 
Length 2 to 4 feet; our specimens range from 22 to 40 inches. This species is subject to consider- 
able variation, the form with coarser and darker markings being the M. sidera of Richardson. 
Muriena picta Ahl, De Mursna et Ophichto, Dissert., Ill, 8, pi. 2, fig. 2, 1789, East Indies. 
Gymnothorax pictus, Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 529, 1801 (after Ahl); Snyder, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., XXII, 1902 
(Jan. 19, 1904), 518 (Honolulu; Puako Bay, Hawaii). 
Mursenophis pantherina Lacepede, Hist. Nat, Poiss., V, 028, 041, 013, 1803. no locality given. 
Murxna-variegata Quoy & Gaimard, Voy. Uranie, Zoo!., 240, pi. 52, fig. 1, 1824, Guam. 
Murxna sidcrca Richardson, Voy. Erebus and Terror, Fish., 85, 1846, Australia. 
Mursena pfeifferi Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Nederl. Ind., V, 1853, 173, Macassar; Ceram. 
Sidera pfeifferi, Kaup, Cat. Apod. Fish., 70, 1856 (Ceram, Macassar, Celebes). 
Sidera pantherina, Kaup, Cat. Apod. Fish., 71, 1856 (Australia, New Guinea). 
Gymnothorax pantherinus, Bleeker, Ned. Tyds. Dierk., I, 152, 1S63 (Batjan). 
63. Gyninothorax xanthostomus Snyder. Plate 14, fig. 2. 
Head, measured to gill-opening 8 in length, 4.5 in tail; depth 1.46 in head; snout 5; cleft of 
mouth 1.6. Snout acutely rounded, lower jaw projecting slightly; profile from tip of snout to inter- 
orbital area convex and gently rising, that of occipital region rising abruptly, nuchal muscles well 
developed; diameter of eye 2.5 in snout; width of space between eyes 1.3 in snout; mouth closing 
completely, the cleft extending about one-third its length beyond posterior margin of orbit; teeth of 
jaws in a single series, close set and firmly imbedded; those at symphysis small; lateral ones large 
anteriorly, growing gradually smaller posteriorly, the basal two-thirds of their edges denticulate; a 
median, depressible canine near tip of upper jaw; vomer without teeth; anterior nostril tube equal in 
length to diameter of pupil; posterior nostril with a minute rim; gill-opening oval, the diameter equal 
to 1.5 times that of eye, the lower margin on a level with mouth. Origin of dorsal on a vertical pass- 
ing midway between corner of mouth and anterior edge of gill-opening, membrane fleshy; height of 
fin near vent, 1.33 in snout; anal inserted immediately behind the vent, where it is but a low ridge of 
skin, much higher and less fleshy posteriorly, height near its middle portion equal to half the length 
of snout; caudal slightly longer than diameter of eye. 
Color in life, yellowish olive on anterior third, becoming a rich brown posteriorly; head and 
body covered with conspicuous, light, ocellated spots, the light part of which is clearly defined, the 
dark part more intense next the white, growing diffuse without; spots on head very small, 0.1 to 0.2 
diameter of eye, placed from 1 to 3 times their width from each other, their centers tinged with 
yellow; behind the gill-opening the spots grow rapidly larger for a short distance, then very gradually 
increase in size to the tail, where they are nearly as large as the eye and 1 to 2 or 3 times their 
diameter apart; posteriorly and on the fins the spots are pure white or cream colored; opercles with a 
brownish black margin; mouth, within and at corners, bright lemon-yellow. 
The color in alcohol differs but little from that of the living example. 
Described from the type, No. 50869, U. S. Nat. Mus., 35.83 inches long, obtained in the Honolulu 
market. Two other examples were obtained from the same place; one agreeing closely with the type, 
except that the lower jaw projects beyond the upper a distance equal to the diameter of the eye. The 
belly is without spots. The other (cotype, No. 12792, L. S. Jr. Univ. Mus.) has the body very thick 
and robust, nuchal region greatly enlarged; head 7.46 in length, 4.35 in tail; depth 1.67 in head. 
This species may be known from all other Hawaiian eels by the yellow mouth and the very large, 
dark-bordered, white spots in few rows. 
Gymnothorax xanthostomus Snyder, Bull. U. S. Fish Corum., XXII, 1902 (Jail. 19, 1901), 519, pi. 5, fig. 10, Honolulu. 
