316 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL V, October, 1951 
PHYLLOPHICHTHUS new genus 
genotype: Phyllophkhthus xenodontus, new 
species. 
Head and body subcylindrical, becoming 
compressed toward tip of tail. Anus about at 
center of length. Dorsal and anal low, dis- 
continuous around tip of tail which protrudes 
as a fleshy point. Dorsal commencing over 
rear of pectoral bases. Pectorals well de- 
veloped, elongate. Gill openings round ori- 
fices opening onto lower part of pectoral 
bases. Branchiostegal rays numerous, those 
of the two sides overlapping. Mouth inferior 
to the long, tapering snout. Anterior nostrils 
with posterior borders extending downward 
into leaflike appendages. Posterior nostrils 
opening into mouth under a broad, infolded 
flap which is delimited on the outside of the 
upper lip as a groove below the anterior bor- 
der of the eye. Two rows of conical teeth on 
the intermaxillary plate. A single row of 
smaller teeth on the inner border of each 
maxillary. No vomerine teeth. Mandibular 
teeth large, uniserial, well outside of the 
maxillary teeth, and projecting directly later- 
ally. 
Both the leaflike appendages of the an- 
terior nostrils and the dentition of this genus 
will distinguish it from all other ophichthids. 
Nasal appendages, though common in the 
Muraenidae, are little developed elsewhere in 
the family Ophichthidae, though flaring, 
tubular nares are indicated for Chlevastes by 
Aoyagi (1943.^: 16, fig. 5). In dentition Phyl- 
lophkhthus most closely resembles Leiuranus, 
but the latter genus has normal, upright 
mandibular teeth. Phyllophkhthus would ap- 
pear to be a specialized relative of the 
Leiuranus-Machaerenchelys stock. 
DERIVATION OF NAME: phyll, leaf; Ophkh- 
thus, the type genus of the family. 
10. Phyllophkhthus xenodontus 
new species 
Fig. llap 
holotype: University of Hawaii No. 318, 
240 mm. in total length, taken in a poison ' 
station from shallow water at Hauula Park, |j 
Oahu, T. H., June 28, 1949, by Gosline and I 
party. ; 
description (all measurements given as j 
thousandths of the standard length): Dis- j 
tance from tip of snout to anus 512, to gill , 
opening 96, to dorsal origin 101, to tip of i 
lower jaw 10, to eye 28; greatest depth 31, [ 
depth at anus 22; greatest width 25, width at 
anus 20; eye 11; fleshy interorbital 12; length 
of nasal flap 7; cleft of mouth 38; greatest I 
diameter of gill opening 9; width of pectoral ! 
base 9; and length of pectoral 26. j 
Pores in lateral line about 160. !l 
Snout long, tapering to a conical point. Eye ■ 
well developed, its posterior border nearly 
over rictus. Cleft of the inferior mouth hori- j 
zontal, long, and narrow. Groove on under 'l 
surface of snout (in which lie the intermaxil- il 
lary teeth) extending nearly to tip of snout, i 
Anterior nostrils about at level of tip of lower | 
jaw, close together, their flaps touching one | 
another. Intermaxillary teeth well developed, i 
conical, arranged as 5 pairs in parallel longi- I 
tudinal rows. About 4 weak teeth on the 
inner edge of each maxillary before posterior 
nostril, 4 or more even weaker embedded i 
teeth behind. Lower jaw with a row of some j 
18 strong laterally directed teeth on each j 
side; these rows not continued forward t 
around the toothless symphysis. Color of i 
Fig. 17. a, Head and b, inferior view of anterior 
nostrils of Phyllophichthus xemdontus\ c, head of Leiur- 
anus semicinctus. 
