262 



NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



Very interesting are these aberrant fish forms. 

 form a sub- order of the great order of Teleosteans or 

 fishes. They have a long, tubular snout, as if the 

 were fused together (hence Syn-gnathus), but the 

 proper are at the extremity of this snout or " pipe." 

 gills are in the form of tufts, and the gill openings 

 small. The skin is armoured, there being a 



They 

 bony 

 jaws 

 jaws 

 The 

 very 

 bony 



I 



\\ 



Fig. 112. Gasterosteus spinachia. f Natural size 



skeleton enveloping the whole body, which skeleton is 

 built of plates, finely incised, and pretty firmly joined to- 

 gether. (A photo of a portion of this skin armour is 

 shown in Fig. 114.) The body is long and whiplike, and 

 very rigid. 



The species most frequently met with on these shores is 

 the "Great Pipe-fish" (Syngnathus acus). It is about 

 sixteen inches long, and in its abdominal region about as 

 thick as the finger. 



