PISCES. 137 



Pipe-snouted fishes. The production of tlie head in front of the 

 eyes, resembling that of the head in Syngnathus, is formed by the 

 length of the ethmoid bone and vomer and of the 'pr(BO'perculur}i. 

 The jaw-bones are of the usual length. These fishes diflTer from 

 almost all the other Acanthopterygii in this, that, according to the 

 position of the ventral fins, they belong to the abdominales of LiN- 

 N^us. They belong chiefly to the tropical seas. Some species of 

 this family have been found fossil in the Monte-Bolca. 



Centriscus L. Body oval or oblong, compressed, with ab- 

 domen carinate. Head produced into a very narrow snout, with 

 mouth small. Dorsal fins two, very remote, the first with a 

 strong anterior spine. Branchiostegous membrane with two or 

 three rays. 



Sp. Centriscus Scolopax L., Bloch Ichtli. Tab. 123, fig. i, Gueein Icono(jr., 

 Poiss. PI. 45, fig. 2; from the Mediterranean Sea; the body is covered 

 with small scales. In an East Indian species the body is more elongate 

 and covered above or on the sides also vdth long thin scales, whilst the tail 

 behind the first dorsal fin is bent downwards ; this species is Centriscus 

 scutatus L., Gkonov. Mhs. i. Tab. vii. fig. 3, Bloch 1. 1. fig. 2. From this 

 is formed the genus Amphisile Klein, Gov. — Centriscus velitaris Pall., 

 Spic. Zool. VIII. Tab. iv. fig. 8, makes in some sense the transition between 

 these two forms. I have not seen this fish myself, yet from the figure 

 of Pallas, I am disposed rather to leave it with Centriscus scolopax, than 

 to refer it to the sub-genus Amphisile, 



Aulosto7nus Lac. Body elongate, covered with small scales. 

 Mouth edentulous at tlie end of the compressed, obtuse tube. 

 Short conical cirrus under the apex of lower jaw. Body higher at 

 the very remote dorsal and anal fins, from thence attenuated into 

 the short tail. Several separate spines in a furrow of back in front 

 of dorsal fin. Caudal fin rounded. Branchiostegous membrane 

 with four rays? 



Sp. Aulostomus chinensis Lac, Fistularia cMnensis L., Bloch Ichfh. 

 Tab. 388; in the Indian and Chinese seas, also rarely at Japan. The 

 specimens which I have seen of this fish had, with the exception of a small 

 black spot at the base of the ventral fins and of two brown or black spots 

 on the caudal fin, the body of one colour. Bloch has drawn this fish with 

 many spots. 



A specimen coloured red, with a row of black spots on the belly and 

 some similar spots on the tail, in the Rijks-Museuiii at Leyden, appears to 

 agree with Aulostoma maculatum Valenc, Guv. R. Ani., ed. ill., Poiss. 



