100 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL RIUSEITM vol. 99 



FISTULARIA TABACARIA Linnaeas 



Trumpetfish; Trompetero o Corneta 



Fistularia tahacaria Linneaus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, p. 312, 1758. — Rohl, 

 Fauna descriptiva de Venezuela, p. 389, fig. 198, 1942 (coast of Venezuela). 



Family SYNGNATHIDAE: Pipefishes; Seahorses 



Earl S. Herald (1942) has prepared a key to the pipefishes of the 

 western Atlantic which includes all the known American species. 

 I have prepared the following key for the identification of the pipe- 

 fishes reported from Venezuela, but as more collecting is done several 

 additional species should be taken: 



la. Tail prehensile, usually more or less in a curled condition; caudal fin absent; 



head at nearly right angles to body (Hippoccampus)?^ 



lb. Tail not prehensile; caudal fin present; head not at right angles to body but 



in same general axis. 



2a. The keel along the middle of the side of the trunk turns downward over the 



anus and without interruption continues posteriorly as the lower lateral 



keel on the tail region; dorsal and anal fins present; dorsal fin rays 38 to 



44; rings on body about 19 or 20 + 23 to 27; pectoral fin rays about 19 or 



20; dorsal origin in second or third ring in front of ring containing anal 



fin base Oostethus lineatu8 (Kaup) 



2b. The medial keel along side of the trunk not continuous with the lower 

 lateral keel on tail. 

 3a. Keel along middle of side of trunk turned upward over anus and without 

 interruption continuing posteriorly as upper lateral keel on tail region; 

 dorsal fin present; anal fin absent; dorsal fin rays usually 35 to 37; rings 

 on body 14+35 to 38; pectoral fin rays 13 or 14; dorsal origin usually 

 in body ring that contains anus. 



Pseudophallus mindii (Meek and Hildebrand) 



Zb. Keel along middle of side of trunk interrupted or discontinuous over anal 



region, then beginning in same body ring but continuing as upper 



lateral keel on tail region; dorsal and anal fins present. 



4a. Tail rings 30 to 38; brood pouch covering 11 to 20 tail rings; rings on 



body 16 to 18+30 to 35; dorsal rays 27 to 33; pectoral fin rays 13 or 



14; dorsal origin usually in first trunk ring in front of the one that 



contains anus. 



5a. Adult females flat-bellied and without vertical pale body stripes on 



middle of trunk rings Ssmgnathus rousseau Kaup 



5b. Adult females V-bellied and with vertical pale stripe in center of each 

 trunk ring, striping usually present upon tail. 



Sjmgnathus pelagicus Linnaeus 

 45. Tail rings 39 to 43; brood pouch covering 22 to 25 tail rings. 



Syngnathus fi.stulatus Peters 



Genus OOSTETHUS Hubbs 



Oostethus HtiBBS, Occ. Papers Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, No. 199, p. 3, 1929. 

 (Genotype, Doryichthys lineatus Kaup.) 



>« Hippocampus punctulatus is recorded by R6hl (1942) from the coast of Venezuela but even with the aid 

 of Ginsburg's review of the genus (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 83, pp. 497-694, figs. 54-71, 1937) I do not know 

 what species he actually had. The common name in Venezuela is caballito de mar. 



