(i6() 



SCANDINAVIAN l-ISIIKS. 



The skeleton is otlierwise extremely simple and onlj' By tar the greater numl)er of the Si/iii/iiiifl/hue are 



slightly ossified, with the vertebrie elongated and their marine tislies; they are met with ever\\vliere, wliere 

 processes straight and (jf uniform l)readth, or slightly i seaweeds cover the bottom. ( )ut at sea they aeeoni- 



broader at the top; but in the vertel)riu above ^vhich j>any the tufts of sargasso- weed, or drift about at tlie 



the dorsal fin is attached, the upper spinous processes surface with the current and the waves. Some i)f 



are divided sagitallv (in the longitudinal direction of the tliem, however, also live in brackish water, and n 



body) into three or four divergent branches. Distinct few spet'ies (jccur in fresh water alone. The species 



haemal arches appear only at the beginning of tlie tliat occur in Scandinavia may be distinguished as 



caudal region, where a few may l)e found. follows: 



B'ig. 171. Right scapular aroli of Synijnathiis acus, seen from witliiii, 7 times the natural side. Principallj- after PARKf;R. 



pt, posttemporal bone; cl, clavicle; .«//,, lower lateral plate iu the tirst ring (scHt.U7n laterale inferius annuli primi); sli.,, lower lateral plate 



in the second ring; «Uj, ventral plate in the first ring; sv^, ventral plate in the second ring; id, interclavicle; slnii, middle, lateral plate in 



the fir.st ring; ba.s, basal bones of the pectoral fin: .«. scajmlar disk. 



A: The aduh fishes without pectoral 

 fins. The males carry the impreg- 

 nated eggs in a layer of mucus on 

 the ventral side of the trunk. 

 a: Beginning of the dorsal fin far 

 in front of the perpendicular 

 from the vent, its distance from 

 the tip of the stiout being at 

 most about '/^ (less than 8.") '.) 

 of the distance between the 



vent and the same point XeropJds wquoreus. 



h: Distance between the dorsal fin 

 and the tip of the snout at least 

 "/in of that between the vent 

 and the latter. 



aa: Length of the trunk and 

 head (distance between the 

 vent and the tip of the snout) 

 more than 45 ?i of the length 

 of the body Nerophis ophidian . 



hli: Distance between the vent 

 and the tip of the snout 

 less than 3.5 % of the length 

 of the body Nerophis himhriciformis. 



The adult fishes furnished with pec- 

 toral fins. The males" carry the 

 impregnated eggs in a canaliculate 

 sac on the ventral side of the tail. 



a: Length of the head more than 15 



% of that of the body Synanathus iyplde. 



b: Length of the head less than 14 

 % of that of the body. 

 aa : Length of the head greater 



than that of the base of 



the dorsal fin Syngnathus aciis. 



hh: Length of the head less 



than that of the base of 



the dorsal fin Syngnatlnin rostcUalus. 



In o(ir Scandina 



