70 fishes of new zealand. 



Hippocampus. 



Tail preliensile ; no caudal fin ; trunk compressed, composed of from 

 ten to twelve rings ; shields with more or less jirominent tubercles; 

 occipiit compressed into a crest ; pectoral fins ; males with an egg sack 

 at the base of the tail. 



All temperate and tropical seas. 



113. HIPPOCAMPUS ABDOMINALIS. Less. CM. 



Sea Horse. 



//. abdominalis, Giinth., VIII., 199. 



D. 28-31. 



Tubercles not much developed and very obtuse ; length of the snout 

 equal to, or rather more than the distance between the posterior margin 

 of the 01-bit and gUl openings (shorter in young specimens) ; dorsal fin 

 extends over six or seven rings. 



Uniform blackish brown, or with lighter I'ings on the tail ; small 

 black s})ots on the head. 



Australian seas. 



Order YI.— PLECTOGNATHI. 



Teleosteoios fishes, with ossifications of the skin in the form of scutes or 

 spines ; sometimes naked ; gills pectinate, a mtrrow gill opening in front 

 of the pectoral fins ; skeleton incompletely ossified, with the vertebrce in 

 small number; mouth narrow; the bones of the upper jaw generally 

 firmly united ; a soft dorsal opposite to the anal, and sometimes elements 

 of a sjnnous dorsal ; ventrals absent or reduced to spines. 



SCLEHODERMI. 



Snout somewhat produced ; jaws armed with distinct teeth in small 

 number ; skin with scutes, or rough ; the elements of a spinous doi'sal 

 and ventral generally present. 



Monacanthus. 



Body compressed, covered with very small rough scales ; upper jaw 

 with a double sei'ies of incisor-like teeth, six in the outer, and four in 



