310 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. V, October, 1951 
TABLE 2 
Synopsis of Certain Principal Taxonomic Characters of Hawaiian Ophichthidae 
SPECIES 
DORSAL ORIGIN 
PECTORAL 
TEETH 
UPPER LIP 
MYROPHINAE 
Muraenichthys johnstonensis 
Behind anus 
Absent 
Villiform on maxillaries, ab- 
sent on intermaxillary and 
vomer 
Not fringed 
Muraenichthys schultzei 
Behind anus 
Absent 
Granular; mostly biserial on 
jaws and on vomer 
Not fringed 
Muraenichthys cookei 
Slightly before anus 
Absent 
Conical; uniserial on vomer 
and mandible, biserial on 
maxillary 
Not fringed 
OPHICHTHINAE 
Caecula flavicauda and C. 
platyrhyncha 
Fin absent 
Absent 
Small, sharp, depressible, 
and uniserial throughout 
Not fringed 
Callechelys luteus 
Ahead of gill open- 
ing; high 
Absent 
Conical; uniserial in jaws, 
biserial on vomer 
Grooved but 
not fringed 
Myrichthys hleekeri and M. 
maculosus 
Ahead of gill open- 
ing; high 
Short, 
rounded 
Granular; mostly biserial 
Grooved but 
not fringed 
Cirrhimuraena macgregori 
Ahead of gill open- 
ing; low 
Elongate 
In adult bluntly conical; on 
jaws biserial, on vomer in a 
band 
Fringed 
Phyllophichthus xenodontus 
Over pectoral base; 
low 
Elongate 
Absent from vomer; in jaws 
conical, uniserial, those of 
mandible directed laterally 
Grooved but 
not fringed 
Leiuranus semicinctus 
Over pectoral base; 
low 
Roundish 
Absent from vomer; small, 
conical, uniserial elsewhere 
Grooved but 
not fringed 
Ophichthus polyophthalmus 
Over pectoral base 
Somewhat 
elongate 
Large, sharp, uniserial 
throughout 
Not fringed 
Brachysomophis henshawi 
Somewhat behind 
pectoral base 
Roundish 
Fang-like; uniserial on 
vomer and mandible; bi- 
serial on maxillary 
Fringed or 
papillate 
lack of it in this part of the mouth is unde- 
scribed for several of the species of Murae- 
nichthys. 
Schultz and Woods, apparently from a re- 
examination of the types, place M. retro- 
pinnis in the same group with M. johnstonensis. 
There is nothing, however, in Fowler’s 
original description (1934: 277) to indicate 
whether this placement is correct. 
DERIVATION OF NAME: Schultzidia, for 
Leonard P. Schultz, Curator of Fishes, U. S. 
National Museum. 
1. Muraenichthys (Schultzidia) john- 
stonensis Schultz and Woods 
Fig. 12^ 
Muraenichthys johnstonensis Schultz and Woods 
(1949: 172, fig. 1 and tab. 1) (Johnston 
Island and Bikini Atoll). 
MATERIAL EXAMINED: 1 Specimen, 160 mm. 
in total length, from the reef at Midway and 
2 specimens, 84 and 102 mm., from Oahu, in 
the University of Hawaii Collection. 
The Midway specimen agrees in all essen- 
jj 
