38 LOPHOBRANCHII. 



9. Syngnathus Agassizi, Michahelles. 



Syngnathus Agassizi, Michah. Isis, 1829, p. 1013. 

 Syngnathus luculentus, Rathke, 1842, in Nordmann's Pisces dans 

 la Voyage en la Russ. mer. par Demidoff, pp. 132, 133. 



Diagn. — Snout as long as the head. From 13 to 16 rings an- 

 terior to the dorsal fin, and 15 to 18 hefore the anal ring. 

 Dorsal fin standing on from 7 to 10 rings, of which one or 

 two belong to the body. Tail composed of from 35 to 39 

 rings. 



Descr. — On account of the small size common to this species 

 and abaster, they may be confounded with one another, but the 

 longer and more slender snout, destitute of a thin crest, the 

 absence of the prominent line encompassing the forehead and 

 occiput, or its less distinct expression than in abaster, suffi- 

 ciently distinguish Agassizi, which is in addition more elongated. 

 Nordmann's excellent figure in Demidoff's Voyage shows three 

 white silverv spots on the silvery scales of the edge of the bellv. 



Rad.— P:i5; D. 22; A. 3; C. 10. 



In the Paris Museum this species is kept under the name of 

 S. littoralis of Risso, which properly belongs to the Nerophis 

 ophidion of Risso. I saw a great many examples in Paris, sent 

 from Dalmatia by Michahelles, and others from the Black Sea 

 by Nordmann. From the latter quarter, also, the Vienna Mu- 

 seum received specimens. The largest number, however, in the 

 Paris Museum, were transmitted by Savigny from Naples. 

 Rathke sent a female from Norway to the Berlin Museum, and 

 Demidoff two from the Black Sea. 



The species may be confounded with young individuals of S. 

 rubescens, but these have a slender head, a longer snout, and 

 a dorsal fin shorter than the head. A large female, having a 

 length of 5 - 49 inches, has the head 067 inch long, the snout 

 0'35 inch, the body 1"69 inch, and the dorsal fin 075 inch long. 

 A male 5"40 inches of total length, has the head - 63 inch, the 

 snout 0'32 inch, the body 1*46 inch, the dorsal fin 0"55 inch, 

 and the egg-pouch T58 inch long. 



10. Syngnathus Cuvieri, Kp. 



Diagn. — Snout half the length of the head. Hind-head short 

 and elevated. No prominent line between the orbit and 

 hind-head. Eleven or twelve rings before the dorsal fin, of 

 which two belong to the body. 



