6 PBOOEEDTNaS OP THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. voi,.xxiv. 
Ii ijijxtrnmjiiud': 
mi. Tail prehensile; caudal fiii .small; head shai)e(l like that of a horse, placed 
at a large angle with axis of body; egg j)ouch at base of tail. 
i. Body depressed ; shields smooth Gasterotokeus. 9. 
a. Body compressed. 
j. Occiput without coronet; sliields without tubercles. 
Aeentrnnnra. 10. 
jj. Occiput with a narrow bony crest, surmounted by a coro- 
net; shields with tubercles or spines HipjwmmpiiK. 11. 
S. SYNGNATHUS^ Linnaeus. 
Syngnathuii Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1758, p. 337 {acus). 
Siphosto7n<i. R.\finesque, Caratteri Nuovi Generi, 1810, p. 18 (pelagicus). 
Syngnatlnix Swainson, Nat. Hist. Class'n. Anim., II, 1839, j). 332 (acus), and of 
authors generally; not of Linnaeus, as first restricted V)y Rafinesque. 
Dcrmofo.^ti'Oins Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, p. 283 {pimctipinnis). 
Body elonii'ate, very slender, 6 or 7 angled, not compressed, taper- 
ing into a very long tail; the dorsal keels of the trunk not continuous 
with those of the tail. Head slender, tapering into a long tube-like, 
suV)terete snout, which ))ears the very short, toothless jaws at the end. 
Opercle without distinct ridge. Humeral bones iirmly united with 
the "breast ring." Body covered with a series of bony, keeled, radi- 
ated plates, arranged in linear series. Dorsal fin distinct, rather 
short, inserted ])efore or after the vent, which is near the middle of 
the body, its base not elevated above line of back; caudal fin present, 
rather small; anal fin minute, close behind vent; pectorals developed, 
short and rather broad. Male fishes with an egg pouch along the 
under side of the tail, formed by two cutaneous folds, and splitting 
lengthwise to release the young fishes. Species very numerous, 
inhabiting all warm seas; abounding in bays among the seaweeds, and 
entering the rivers. The females in most species are deeper than the 
males, with more robust trunk, with longer snout, and a more distinct 
ventral keel. 
[gdv^ together; yvaHog, jaw.) 
a. Snout slender, Ij in head; body rings about 19 + 40; dorsal rays about 37; body 
slender; coloration plain srhlegi'li. 4. 
' The genus Syngnathus of Linnaeus, originally equivalent to the modern family of 
Syngnuthidic, was first subdivided by Rafinesque in 1810. The name Siphostoma was 
given to S. pelagicus and its relatives, the Syngnathus of late writers; that of Tiplilc 
to S. lyphle, the Slphoitostotna of late writers; while Syvgnaihns was retained for 
>S'. aequorcus and its relatives, the group now usually called Ncrophis, the type of 
Ncrophis being Syngnathns ophidion Linnaeus. This arrangement has been previously 
adopted by us, but it is open to two very serious objections besides the fact that it is 
contrary to the general usage, which makes arvf.s^ the type of SyitgnatJius, in accord- 
ance with Swainson's arrangement. These objections are (1) that Artedi, from 
whom Linnaeus accepted the genus Syvgiiathns, did not know of the existence of 
Sipignathiis lequoreus, and (2) the statement of Linnaeus (which we have been 
unable to verify), that the type of each of his genera is the "best known European 
or officinal species." Syngnathus acus would meet this requirement, ])ut not Syngna- 
thus .'cquorciis, which had not then been found in Europe. 
