THE SHORE FISHES OF PERU 153 



LEPTONOTUS BLAINVILUANUS (Eydoux and Gervais) 



Syngnathus hlainvillianus Eydoux and Gervais, 1837, p. 3, pi. 17, Chile (original 

 description). — Gunther, 1870, p. 162, Chile, "South Sea" (description). 



Leptonotus hlainvillii Kaup, 1856b, p. 46, Peru, Chile, etc. — Herald, 1940, pp. 

 59, 63 (synonymy; range; differentiated in key). 



This species, which I have not seen, is included in the fauna of 

 Peru from an old record by Kaup (see reference above). Recent 

 collectors have not taken it in Peru. It is placed in a different genus 

 from the other Peruvian species principally because the ridge on 

 middle of side is continuous over the vent, whereas it is interrupted in 

 the other species of ''aguja," or pipefishes. According to Giinther's 

 description (see reference above) the dorsal has 35 to 37 rays; and the 

 osseous rings number 20 or 21+50; the length of the body is con- 

 tained 1.5 to 2.66 in the tail; in old females the body becomes deep 

 and compressed, which according to Herald (1940, p. 63) apparently 

 causes a rapid elevation in the profile just posterior to the head; the 

 snout is longer than the rest of the head; the dorsal fin begins some- 

 what in advance of the vent ; the egg pou ch occupies 1 1 rings ; old 

 examples have numerous very small light brown-edged ocelli; and 

 young examples have broad brown cross bands. 



Range. — "West coast of South America from Peru south to Orange 

 Bay, South Patagonia, one record from Golfo Nuevo, Argentina" 

 (Herald, 1940, p. 59). 



Genus SYNGNATHUS Linnaeus, 1758 



Body very elongate, not especially compressed, tapering into a long 

 slender, nonprehcnsile tail; head slender, in line with axis of body; 

 ridge ("lateral line") along middle of side interrupted above vent, 

 resumed higher up and continuous with lateral dorsal ridge of tail; 

 caudal fin present; anal fin small or absent. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES 



a. Trunk with 15 rings; tail with 37 to 39; dorsal with 18 to 20 rays, on y^ to 



Yi body and 3}2 to 4)^ caudal rings--independencia, new species (p. 153) 



aa. Trunk with 17 or 18 rings; tail with 41 or 42; dorsal with 36 to 43 rays, on 



l}i to 2 body and 7}^ to 8 caudal rings acicularis p. 155) 



syngnathus INDEPENDENCIA, new species 



Aguja 

 Figure 34 



Head 11.8 to 12.4; depth (males) 27.7 to 34.5, 2.3 to 2.8 in head; 

 D. 18 to 20; A. 2 to 4; P. 10 or 11; C. 10; rings 15+37 to 39. 



Body slender, its greatest depth exceeding its greatest thickness by 

 about half diameter of eye; length anterior to vent 2.9 to 3.0 in 

 length; a rather prominent median ventral keel on trunk; caudal 



