FISH. 147 
LOPHOBRANCHILI. 
Famity.—SYNGNATHID ©. 
1. SYNGNATHUS ACICULARIS. Jen. 
Prate XXVII. fig. 3. 
S. flavo-brunneus : corpore gracillimo, compresso, heptagono ; caudd quadranguld : 
vertice plano ; cristd occipitali parum conspicud ; rostro longo, compresso, verticali- 
ter capite angustiore, margine superiore acuto prope recto: pinnd dorsali totd mul- 
tum ante medium longitudinis sité ; pinnis pectoralibus parvis, anali minutissimd, 
caudal distincta. 
Lone. une. 5. lin. 10. 
Form.—Very similar to the S. Acus, but the body rather more compressed. The angles are the 
same, and the middle lateral ridges of the trunk rise upwards in a similar manner to terminate 
behind the dorsal fin. There are about seventy transverse shields or plates in the whole length, 
eighteen of which lie between the gills and the vent. Head much compressed about the gills, 
contained with the snout about eight and a half times in the entire length. Crown nearly 
flat, with very little of an occipital ridge; profile falling obliquely, but not much out of a 
straight line; between the eyes a slight hollow. Snout elongated, a trifle more than half the 
entire length of the head, compressed, the upper edge sharp and nearly horizontal in front of 
the nostrils, vertically much narrower than the head. 
The dorsal commences at one-third of the entire length, and occupies a space about one- 
tenth of the same, terminating before the middle: the number of rays is about forty or 
more. Vent about underneath the seventh dorsal ray. Anal extremely minute, of only one 
or two rays. Pectorals very small. Caudal distinct, much as in S. Acus. 
Cotour.—(In spirits.) Of a nearly uniform yellowish brown, paler underneath. 
Habitat, Valparaiso. 
This species, taken by Mr. Darwin at Valparaiso, would seem to represent 
in that quarter of the globe the S. Acus of the European seas, which, on the 
whole, it much resembles, though there are several slight differences on a close 
comparison. It is a female specimen, being without the abdominal pouch, and is 
probably not full-sized. The dorsal fin being a little injured, and the rays very 
delicate as well as close-set, it is hardly possible to tell the exact number. The 
anal exists, but it is so extremely minute that it might easily be overlooked. 
2. SYNGNATHUS CONSPICILLATUS. Jen. 
Prare XXVII. fig. 4. 
S. griseus, fasciis transversis fuscis ; genis albrcantibus, vittis dudbus angustis longt- 
tudinalibus nigro-fuscis: corpore crassiore, subcylindrico, hexagono ; caudd quadran- 
guld: vertice elevato; cristis ocripitali et nuchali distinctis: oculis magnis pro- 
