416 Mr. J. Leckenby on a species of Pipe-fish. 



XLII. — On a species of Pipe-fish (Syngnathus sequoreus ?) lately 

 found at Scarborough. By J. Leckenby, Esq. 



[With a Plate.] 



In the month of June of the present year, a fisherman brought 

 to the Scarborough Museum a Pipe-fish alive, which he stated 

 had just been captured in a lobster-trap. It was placed in the 

 aquarium of the Museum, where it lived more than a month. 

 At first it appeared uneasy and restless ; but after a fine plant 

 of Halidrys siliquosus was introduced, it sought shelter amongst 

 its branches, coiling its prehensile tail around the stem, — the 

 colours of the plant and the Pipe-fish harmonizing so exactly, 

 that a search was often necessary to discover it in its hiding- 

 place. 



This, however, it would sometimes leave (as though seized 

 with a spirit of adventure), making the tour of the aquarium, 

 paying its respects en route to the lobsters in their hiding-places, 

 and darting inquiring glances from its bright and glowing eyes 

 at the Actinia and Star-fishes. It propelled itself rapidly by 

 the undulations of its dorsal and only fin, the rays of which, by 

 the quickness of their motion, became imperceptible to the eye. 

 It occasionally made darts at minute objects, and, I believe, if 

 suitable food could have been supplied, might have been kept 

 alive a considerable time longer. Its forward motion was recti- 

 linear; but when at rest, or in ascending to a higher level, it 

 approached most frequently to the coiled appearance represented 

 by the figure (Plate XII.). 



I have compared the specimen with the descriptions and figures 

 of YarrelPs Pipe-fishes, and find that it agrees very closely with 

 Montagu's description of Syngnathus cequoreus as quoted by the 

 former author, the chief difference being that our specimen does 

 not exhibit the three slight angles on each side, which Montagu 

 mentions as giving his species "an octangular appearance," 

 the body of our specimen being regularly and most symmetrically 

 ovate. Montagu says also there are thirty-six plates in the tail, 

 ours numbering sixty-six. 



But on reference to the descriptive ' Catalogue of Lopho- 

 branchiate Fish in the Collection of the British Museum/ by 

 Dr. J.J.Kaup, page 66 {Nerophis cequoreus), the difference in the 

 form of the body appears to be sexual, as it is there stated that 

 the female has an octangular body, while the male has a flatter 

 back and belly. It would therefore appear that Montagu has 

 described as specific, characters which pertain to the female only, 

 our example being a male in very fine condition. 



The tail in our specimen is perfectly round until within three- 

 fourths of an inch of the end, where it becomes very finely flat- 



