A REVIEW OF THE HYPOSTOMIDE AND LOPIIOBKAN 
CHIATE FISHES OF JAPAN. 
By David SxAKii Jokdan and John Ottekbein Snyder. 
Of the Leldiid Stanford Junior Unirersiti/. 
The present paper contains a review of the Hypo.stoniide and Lopho 
liranchiate tishe.s of Japan, the families Pegasida", Solcnostoniidie, 
Syngnathidtfi, and Pegasidte. It is based on specimens obtained in 
Japan l)y the authors in the summer of 1900, a series of duplicates 
being- in the United States National Museum, and upon the collection of 
Japanese tishes in the United States National Museum, as well as upon 
specimens collected by the United States Fish Commission Steamer 
Albatro.s.s. 
In this work we have had the efficient aid of Mi'. iNlichitaro Sindo, 
who has carefully compared and measured all the recorded specimens. 
Sulxinltr HVPOSTOMIDES. 
Hody covered with bony plates, anchylosed on the trunk, movable 
on the tail. Gill cover formed by a large plate corresponding to the 
opercle, preopercle, and subopercle. One rudimentary l>ranchiostegal. 
Gills four, lamellated. Ventral tins abdominal. Dorsal and anal 
short, of soft rays onlv. No pseudobranchiic or air-l)lii(lder. This 
group contains a single family; fantastic little tishes of the Asiatic 
seas. 
{vTTo. lielow; ffro/Atx, mcnith.) 
Family 1. PEGASID^E. 
Body broad, much depressed, covered with bony plates; mouth 
small, below a prolonged snout, its margin formed by the premaxil- 
laries; no teeth; suborbital ring well developed, forming a suture 
with the gill cover. Pectorals broad, \-ery lar;'e, placed horizontally; 
ventrals well behind the pectorals, not far from the vent, of one or 
two rays, one of them very long; tail four angled, the short dorsal 
Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXIV— No. 1241. 
■ Proc. N. M. vol. xxiv 01 1 i 
