REVIEW OF HIPPOCAMPUS — GINSBURG 561 



HIPPOCAMPUS HUDSONIUS PUNCTULATUS Guichenot 



Figures 63, 64 



Hippocampus erectus Perry, Arcana; or The museum of natural history, pi.. May 

 1, 1810 ("native of the American Seas, and of the coasts adjacent to Mexico 

 and the West Indies"; agrees most nearly with present subspecies, but may 

 also apply to other seahorses) . 



Hippocampus punctulatus Guichenot, in de la Sagra's Historia ffsica, politica 

 y natural de la isla de Cuba, vol. 4, Reptiles y peces, p. 239, pi. 5, fig. 2, 

 1853 (Cuba). 



Hippocampus marginalis Heckel, in Kaup's Catalogue of the lophobranchiate 

 fish in the collection of the British Museum, p. 15, 1856 (Mexico). 



Hippocampus fascicularis Heckel, idem (Mexico). 



Hippocampus punctulatus Dum^ril, Histoire naturelle des poissons. . ., vol. 2, 

 p. 508, 1870 (type of punctulatus redescribed) . 



Hippocampus stylifer Jordan and Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol 5, p. 

 265, 1882 (Florida, based on young female). 



Hippocampus punctulatus Jordan and Evermann, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 47, 

 pt. 1, p. 777, 1896 {marginalis and fascicularis placed in synonymy). 



Hippocampus punctulatus Evermann and Kendall, Rep. U. S. Comm. Fish, for 

 1899, p. 63, 1900 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.). 



Hippocampus poeyi Howell Rivero, Mem. Soc. Poey Univ. Habana, vol. 8, 

 p. 32, fig., 1934 (off the coast of Habana in algae; probably based on speci- 

 men of present species). 



Diagnosis. — First caudal segment nearly always hexangiilar (in 28), 

 infrequently quadrangular (in one); last trunk segment always oc- 

 tangular; penultimate trunk segment usually septangular like the 

 segments in front of it, sometimes novemangular (of 29 specimens 

 examined two completely and one incompletely novemangular.) In 

 other words, extra plates for support of dorsal normally present on first 

 caudal and last trunk segments only, infrequently absent on first 

 caudal and sometimes present on penultimate trunk segment (the 

 single specimen lacking the plate on the first caudal had one on the 

 penultimate trunk segment); or, upper ridges of trunk and tail nor- 

 mally overlapping on two segments, sometimes on three. Trunk 

 segments nearly always 11 (in 28), infrequently 12 (in one, this being 

 the same specimen having a quadrangular first caudal segment). 

 Caudal segments usually 35 to 37, varying 33 to 37. Dorsal rays 

 usually 19 or 20, varying 18 to 21. Pectoral rays usually 16 or 17, 

 varying 15 to 19. Spines long or moderately long in the young fry, 

 very conspicuous in medium-sized specimens, especially in females, 

 usually rather well developed in adults, those on trunk sometimes 

 nearly obsolescent in full-grown males. Coronet well developed, 

 sometimes low in full-grown males. Trunk becoming conspicuously 

 deep in full-grown specimens, snout rather long. Filaments usually 

 present, sometimes profuse, often absent. General color pattern 

 about the same as in hudsonius; medium-sized specimens generally 

 with light-colored or variegated blotches around the bases of the 



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