FAMILY XIII. SYNGNATHID.E. 163 



152. Siphostoma brevicaudum sp. nov. PIPE FISH. 

 Type, No. 4586, F. C. M., 5.9 inches in length; Boca 



del Rio, Vera Cruz. 



Head $ l /$\ depth 23; D. 44, on 2 + 7 rings; body rings 

 18 or 19 + 24. Body rather robust; snout slender, with 

 a low median and two lateral keels on upper surface and 

 a deep groove on under side; distance from gill opening 

 to anterior margin of the orbit \% in the snout; diameter 

 of eye 2 in postorbital part of head; a prominent ridge 

 across middle of opercle; body with 7 keels, those -on mid- 

 dle of sides reaching the dorsal keels below just back of 

 vent; a second short lateral keel begins opposite origin of 

 dorsal fin, meeting the one above it opposite posterior end 5 

 of dorsal fin; base of dorsal fin equals distance from tip w 

 of snout to posterior margin of orbit; shields without 

 spines; body longer than the tail; total length 5.9 inches; j 

 length of tail 2.5 inches. 



Color olive brown, head darker; two rows of black | 

 spots of four each on under side of snout. Length about CD 

 6 inches. 5 



Three specimens of this species were taken in brackish > 



water at Boca del Rio. 



~s. 



S 



153. Siphostoma starksi Jordan & Culver. 



Siphostoma starksi Jordan & Culver, Proc. Cal. Acad. 

 Sci., 1895, 416, pi. xxx ; Rio Presidio, Presidio: 

 Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1896, 771: Rutter, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 1896, 263; 

 San Jose del Cabo, Lower California. 

 Pacific coast streams, Rio Presidio to Rio San Geroni- 

 mo. (San Geronimo.) 



Head 10%', depth 21; D. 38, on o + 10 or n rings; 

 body rings 14 + 37 or 38. Body rather stout; head 

 scarcely carinate above; snout very short, with a slight, 

 smooth keel; no keel on opercle; belly slightly keeled; 

 two lateral keels on body confluent into one behind; tail $$ 



twice as long as the body. 



Color dark olive, much mottled with darker, but without distinct 

 markings; belly yellowish. Length about 6 inches. 



A small species entering fresh waters. One specimen taken by 

 me at San Geronimo is 4.2 inches in length. 



