FAMILY, I— STNGNATHID^. 681 



concave : an obtuse ridge above tbe opercle continued to the hind edge of tbe orbit. Fins — dorsal commences 

 bebind the twentieth ring : its base is on ten rings, 3 of which belong to the tail. Caudal rudimentary. 

 Halitat. — Bombay. 



Second group — Hippocampixa. 



Tail prehensile : caudal fin absent. 



Genus 5 — Gastrotokeos (Reckel) Kaup. 



SyngnatJioides and iSolegnathus, Bleeker. 



Body depressed, having smooth shields and a prehensile fail, which latter is not so long as the "body. Dorsal 

 fin of moderate length placed nearly opposite the vent : pectarals and, anal present : caudal absent. The lateral-line 

 jMsses along the edge of the abdomsn. Ova imbedded in soft substance on the abdomen of the males, but there is no 

 pouch formed of lateral cutaneous folds. 



Geographical distribution. — East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, China, and 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Gastrotoheus biaculeatus, D. 40-45. Osseous rings 10-18 + 45-6.5. Red Sea, East coast of Africa 

 and seas of India to China and Australia. 



1. Gastrotokeus biaculeatus, Plate CLXXIV, fig. 5. 



Syngnathus biaculeatus, Bloch, t. 121 ; Bl. Schn. p. 515, t. 107 ; Shaw, v, p, 45.3 ; Richardson, Ich. 

 China, p. 202 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 387. 



Syngnatlius tetragonus, Gmel. Linn. p. 1453 ; Lacep. ii, p. 46. 



Syngnathoides Blochii, Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. ii, Banda, p. 259. 



Solenognathus Blochii, Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. sxv. Trosk. ]i. 24. 



Gastrotoheus biaculeatus, Kaup, Lophob. p. 19 ; Peters, Moss. Fische ; Bleeker, En. Pise. p. 189 ; 

 Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, p. 528 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 194 ; lOunz. Pische Roth. Meer. 1871, p. 653. 



D. 40-45, P. 17-23, A. 4. Osseous rings 16-18 -t-4.>-5 5. 



Length of bead about 1/3 of the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : the tail shorter 

 than the trunk. Eyes — situated in the posterior half of the distance between the end of the snout and the base 

 of the pectoral fin. A well defined supraorbital spine above the hind edge of the eye : interorbital space 

 concave. Occiput destitute of a coronet, but with a distinct blunt projection : usually a barbel-Hke filament 

 on the mandible and in some examples cutaneous filaments exist on lower surface of jaws and on the body. 

 Fins — dorsal situated on ten rings, commencing on the one anterior to the anal, or else on the anal ring. Anal 

 fin situated in a depression : a projection covered with well-developed papilla? exists just in front of the vent. 

 Colours— these vary in different localities. Pale green or brown superiorly, becoming of an orange or buii' on 

 the under surface, a light spot edged with very pale vermilion on the side of each body ring : in some, black 

 spots are scattered along the sides of the lower surface of the body. Lower surface of the head with dark spots 

 or bands. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, China, and Australia. 

 It attains to at least 9| inches in length. The example figured was from the Malay Ai-chipelago. 



Genus, 6 — Acentrgnuea, Kaup. 



Body rather compressed, with shields without tubercles, and a preJiensile, finless tail: occiput compressed into 

 a crest icitltout any coronet. Bursal fin mth rather few rays : pectorals present. Ova carried by the males in a sac, 

 tvhich is situated beluw the tail and opening near the vent. 



1. Acentronura gracillima, Plate CLXXVI, fig. 1. 



Hippocampus gracillimitis, Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. Poiss, p. 274, t. cxx,f. 7. 

 Acentronura gracillima, Kaup, Lophob. p. 18 ; Dumeril, Hist. Poiss. ii, p. 527 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, 

 p. 198. 



D. 16-17, P. 15, A. 2. Osseous rings 13 + 41-45. 



Tail a little longer than the body. Snout 2/5 of the length of the head. Occiput compressed into a 

 crest, but without any coronet. Fins — the dorsal standing on four rings, two of which belong to the tail : its 

 base not elevated. Colours — brownish, covered with small white dots, and likewise little brown markings 

 which in the female almost form bands, especially across the ventral surface. A row of dark spots along the 

 upper third of the dorsal fin, forming a band. The male is darker and of a bluish colour, with a milk-white 

 spot on each body ring. 



Two examples, neither exceeding 1'5 inches in length, were dredged by Mr. J. Wood-Mason, oflf the 

 coast of the Andamans, at 35'40 fathoms. It appears to attain to 3 inches in length. 



Genus 7 — Hippocampus, Leach. 



Trunk compressed and someivhat elevated, halving from 10 to 12 rings. The shields fu mi ahcd luith tubercles 

 or spines. Occiput compressed and forming a coronet at its posterior superior angle, ichich is usually surmounted by 



4 s 



