316 50 



As Ihc muscles lor the second dorsal (and the anal) do nol show any parti- 

 cular development and as corres|)ündingly no muscular processes on tlie vertehræ 

 supporting these uns are present either, we are justified in supposing that these fins 

 are not used for locomotion in llio way characteristic lor the Syngnathidæ-'. 



The interspinous bones of the first dorsal fin are unisegniented, ö in 

 number. The first is broad and stout, its lower end bifurcated, in one specimen 

 skirting over the tip of the spinous process on the 6th vertebra; the anterior 

 branch forms a broad plate, the front margin of which seems firmly connected at 

 its lower extremity with the underside of the 5th median dermal scute; the post- 

 erior branch is narrow but fairly strong; together with it the following 3 inter- 

 spinous bones are enclosed in the space between the spinous processes of the 6th 

 and 7th vertebræ, closely packed together; the fifth interneural is a short broad 

 plate, firmly embraced by the bifurcated tip of the 8th vertebral spine. Thus the 

 supporting apparatus for the large rays of the first dorsal is in this way consider- 

 ably strengthened. 



The interspinous bones of the second dorsal and the anal are bisegmented, 

 Ihe distal segment being only represented by a cartilaginous nodule, very much like 

 that of the Syngnathidæ. 



The second dorsal fin is supported by 17 interspinous bones. Distally the Ist 

 is laterally compressed, flattened out into a plate supporting the anterior corner of 

 the dorsal "hump"; in a similar way the posterior corner of the hump is strength- 

 ened by an expansion formed by the fusion of the distal parts of the 2 or 3 hind- 

 most interneurals. The 3 anterior are enclosed in the space between the spinous 

 processes of the 1st and 2nd caudal vertebræ, the following 3 or 4 between the 2nd 

 and 3rd, next 3 or 4 between the 3rd and 4th, then 4 or 5 between the 4th and 5th, 

 and finally 2 or 3 behind the latter. There are no connections with the marginal 

 scutes of the dermal skeleton, consequently the bony expansions at the distal end 

 of these interneurals characteristic for the Syngnathidæ are not developed here. 



Those of the anal fin are likewise 17 or 16, the anterior 2 distally fused to- 

 gether, and the same is the case with the posterior 3 or 2. The first is situated in 

 front of the inferior spine of the first caudal; the following interspace encloses 3, 

 the next 3 each have 4, and the last very short one lies behind the inferior spine of 

 the 5th caudal. 



The 5 fin-rays of the first dorsal are strong and long, pointed, without any 

 longitudinal or transverse division; they are to be regarded as spinous rays. 



The number of rays in the 2nd dorsal and the anal (in the specimens 

 examined by me) is 18 — 20 in Sol. cijanopterus, 21 — 22 in S. paradoxus (comp, the 

 tab. p. 322 [56]); that of the caudal fin always 16. The fin-rays of the 2nd dorsal 

 and of the anal are feeble, unbranched but ending in a bundle of extremely fine 

 threads; the distal part of most of them is transversely jointed, only some of the 

 anterior are without joints. The caudal rays are comparatively strong, the median 



