322 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
GENUS HIPPOCAMPUS. 
Snout elongated as in the preceding. Body enlarged and deep in the centre, with angular 
and spinous plates. No ventral nor caudal fin. Female only with an anal fin. Tail 
prehensile. 
THE HUDSON-RIVER SEA-HORSE. 
HipPpocaMPus HUDSONIUS. 
PLATE LIll. FIG. 171. —(STATE COLLECTION.) 
Syngnathus hippocampus. LINNEUs. 
Sea-horse at New-York. Scuaprr, Beobacht. Vol. 8, p. 194. 
S. id., Sea-horse Pipe-fish. Murcui.1, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soe. New-York, Vol. 1, p. 475. 
The Short-nosed Sea-horse, H. brevirostris. Storer, Massachusetts Report, p. 167. 
Characteristics. A crest extending from the eye to the base of the snout. Pectorals with 
fifteen rays. Tubular jaws half the length of the head. Length three to 
six inches. 
Description. Body of twelve segments, heptangular, protuberant, with three rows of tuber- 
cular points formed by the junction of the plates on each side, and a single row beneath ; the 
tubercular points become more elevated at the place of the dorsal fin. Jaws tubular, straight, 
cleft at the extremity, 0°3 in length measured above, and 0°9 to the branchial aperture. A 
short tubercle at the base of the jaw above, and connected by an elevated crest to a distinct 
spine over'each eye. On the summit of the head, a large bony protuberance terminating in 
five distinct points. The oval branchial apertures behind this protuberance. Nostrils double, 
round, immediately anterior to the eyes. Eyes prominent. Anal (in the female) with three 
rays. ‘Tail longer than the body, quadrangular, ending in a blunted point, finless, and com- 
posed of thirty-two segments. 
Color. Light brown, with iridescent opercles. Irides yellow. 
Length 4°5. 
Bintrays;)) D3 18ib 5G) ALS: 
This species varies in size from three to six inches. I cannot reconcile it with the brevz- 
rostris described by Yarrel, to which it is referred by my estimable friend Dr. Storer. It has 
even a shorter tubular jaw. All the specimens which I have hitherto had an opportunity to 
examine, were females. We believe that the animals of this genus stand alone among fishes, 
in having a prehensile tail. 
