540 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol 83 



HIPPOCAMPUS GUTTULATUS MULTIANNULARIS, new subspecies 



Figures 56, 57 



Hippocampus atrichus de la Pylaie, Congr. Sci. France, Poitiers, 1834, 2d sess., 

 p. 528, 1835 (seep. 524). 



Hippocampus antiquorum Day (not Leach), The fishes of Great Britain and Ire- 

 land, vol. 2, p. 265, pi. 144, fig. 7, 1880 (the figure has a rather long snout 

 and was probably drawn from a specimen of the present subspecies) . 



Hippocampus guttulatus Duncker (not Cuvier, as here restricted, see p. 546), Die 

 Tierwelt der Nord- und Ostsee, pt. 12g, p. 23, 1926 (the description and the 

 figure agree fairly well with the present subspecies, and if that account in- 

 cludes Atlantic coast specimens they should probably be referred to it). 



Diagnosis.- — First caudal segment hexangular and last trunk seg- 

 ment octangular (in all 16 specimens examined); antepenultimate 

 segment nearly always septangular (incompletely novemangular in 

 only one of the 16 specimens examined). In other words, nearly 

 always extra plates on first caudal and last trunk segments only; 

 or upper ridges of tail and trunk overlapping on two segments only 

 (with the single exception noted). Trunk segments 11 (in all 16 

 specimens examined). Caudal segments modally 39, varying 38 to 

 40. Dorsal rays usually 19 or 20, var3^ing 19 to 21. Pectoral rays 

 oftenest 16 or 17, varying 15 to 18. Tubercles rather low but con- 

 spicuous. Coronet of medium height, preceded by a double bony 

 hump of nearly same height and almost fused with it, producing 

 the effect, when viewed from the side, of an unusually wide and 

 comparatively low coronet. Trunk rather slender, snout of medium 

 length. Most specimens, both males and females, with a few short 

 filaments on coronet and postorbital spines, sometimes also a few 

 on anterior spines of upper ridge of trunk. Specimens having the 

 color fairly well preserved nearly uniformly colored, rather dark, 

 profusely sprinkled with small white dots, comparatively coarse, 

 especially on head and trunk, sometimes a few white dots coalescing 

 there to form elongate spots or short irregular lines. (See tables 1 

 and 2 for counts and measurements.) 



Distinctive characters and relationships. — As already noted, the 

 common seahorses occurring on the Atlantic coast of Europe have 

 hitherto been generally regarded by authors as belonging to one 

 species and referred to either one or the other of the two common 

 Mediterranean species. If the locaUty of the specimens forming the 

 basis of the present account is correct, however (see p. 541), it shows 

 that on the coasts of Europe two common species occur in the Atlantic 

 as well as in the Mediterranean. The two European Atlantic coast 

 seahorses may be distinguished chiefly by the correlation of a shorter 

 snout and fewer caudal segments in one, while the other has a longer 

 snout in combination with more numerous caudal segments. The 

 apparent reason for the prevalent "opinion" that only one species 



