REVIEW OF HIPPOCAMPUS — GINSBURG 545 



large blotches on the trunk, which are especially developed in medium- 

 sized and often persist in large specimens of these American seahorses. 

 The white dots on the trunk of hudsonius are very sparse and of the 

 same small size as those on the tail, while in guttulatus the white 

 spots on the side of the trunk are characteristically larger than those 

 on the tail, are quite profuse, and tend to coalesce, forming somewhat 

 irregular short lines or elongate spots. Because of the different color 

 pattern in combination with the structural differences and their 

 widel}^ discontinuous distribution, hudsonius and guttulatus are recog- 

 nized as independent species rather than subspecies. 



H. hudsonius is nearer in the average number of caudal segments, 

 the most divergent character, to the typical guttulatus from the 

 Mediterranean than to its subspecies multiannularis from the Atlantic 

 coast of Europe. Consequently, it is quite possible that hudsonius 

 and guttulatus are not so closely related as the specific characters in- 

 vestigated during this study would indicate. Attention has been 

 called to the remarkable similarity in structural character between 

 guttulatus and ingens (see p. 536), although there is no question as to 

 the distinctness of these two species. 



Material studied and geographic distribution. — Adriatic Sea; J. 

 Smolinsky (44438, more definite locality not given). Venice; D. S. 

 Jordan (23427 and 34356). Sicily (21164). Naples (21121 and 

 28550). Bay of Naples; S. E. Meek; April 1897 (48326). Genoa; 

 D. S. Jordan (29732). Europe (93744; five specimens, more definite 

 locality not given, but without doubt belonging to present subspecies). 



Total number of specimens examined, 24, nine without a brood 

 pouch, 78 to 110 mm long, 15 with a brood pouch or at least a rudi- 

 ment of one, 72 to about 110 mm long (the largest male dried and 

 accurate length not determinable). 



The material examined comprises localities ranging from Venice to 

 Genoa (see also discussion of specimen from Greece, p. 546). From 

 accounts in the literature, and from the material examined, it seems 

 evident that this subspecies is widely distributed and common on 

 the northern coast of the Mediterranean, including the Adriatic Sea, 

 but its more precise geographical limits still remain to be worked out. 

 At least some of the records of ''guttulatus" from the Atlantic coast 

 of Europe refer to the new subspecies here described as multiannularis; 

 while extant records of "guttulatus" from other places no doubt refer 

 to various other species. 



Nomenclature and synonymy. — Because of its markedly longer snout 

 and other salient differences as compared with the other common 

 seahorse on the northern coast of the Mediterranean, the subspecies 

 guttulatus appears to have been correctly distinguished from hippo- 

 cam,pus by nearly all authors, and Cuvier's name guttulatus has been 

 employed most generally to designate it. Cuvier, however, was 



73864—36 4 



