568 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 83 



HIPPOCAMPUS HUDSONTUS KINCAIDI Townsend and Barbour 



Hippocampus antiquorum Goode (not Leach), Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. 14, p. 291, 



1877 (Bermuda). 

 Hippocampus kincaidi Townsend and Barbour, New York Zool. Soc. Bull. 



23, p. 304, fig., 1906 (Bermuda). 

 Hippocampus brunneus Bean, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 19, p. 32, 1907 



(Bermuda). 

 Hippocampus punctulatus Beebe and Tee Van (not Guichenot), Zoologica, vol. 



13, p. 40, 1933 (Bermuda). 



Diagnosis. — First caudal segment hexangular (incompletely hex- 

 angular in one out of six specimens); last trunk segment octangular; 

 penultimate trunk segment usually septangular (in five), sometimes 

 novemangular (in one). In other words, extra plate for support of 

 dorsal usually on first caudal and last trunk segments only, some 

 times also on penultimate trunk segment; or, upper ridges of trunk 

 and tail usually overlapping on two segments, sometimes on three. 

 Trunk segments 11 (in all six examined). Caudal segments 33 to 36. 

 Dorsal rays 18 or 19. Pectoral rays usually 16, varying 15 to 17. 

 Tubercles and coronet well developed in young specimens, becoming 

 notably low in large fish, frequently obsolescent on upper ridge of 

 trunk in large males. Trunk of medium depth; snout of medium 

 length. Filaments rather profuse in young, absent in the few large 

 specimens examined. Color not well shown in the few available 

 specimens; large whitish or variegated blotches shown on trunk of 

 two specimens, largest specimen shows traces of transverse dark lines 

 on trunk; white dots usually quite profuse on tail, sparse on side of 

 trunk; general color pattern apparently the same as in hudsonius 

 and punctulatus. (See tables 1 and 3 for counts and measurements 

 and table 4 for averages.) 



The figure of kincaidi and the color description of "brunneiis", 

 combined with the specimens examined, make it evident that the 

 variability of the tubercles, filaments, and color with age is approxi- 

 mately the same as already described for hudsonius or punctulatus 

 (see pp. 555 and 564). 



Distinctive characters and relationships. — The Bermuda population 

 of this seahorse evidently forms a subspecies of equal rank with 

 hudsonius and punctulatus. The relation between these latter two 

 has been discussed under their accounts, and kincaidi may now be 

 compared with them. The differences between the three subspecies 

 become apparent by a study of tables 1, 3, and 4. H. kincaidi is 

 characterized by a combination of characters: A low caudal segment 

 count ; the low tubercles in large males tending to become obsolescent ; 

 a trunk of medium depth; a snout of medium length; a rather low 

 dorsal ray count; a medium pectoral ray count. In its low caudal 

 segment count and low tubercles it is nearest to punctulatus, especially 



