PISCES. 77 



In others the body is of a more uniform thickness and much elongated ; 

 they are named needle- fishes, and form the snb-genus : 



Syngnathus Cuv. 



* With pectoral and caudal fins none. 



Sp. Syngnathus Ophidian L., YAREELL Brit. Fishes, Suppl. n. p. 47, ECK- 

 STROEM, 1. 1. Tab. vi. figs. 3, 4 ; greenish 6" 9" long. A low dorsal fin is 

 the only fin which this animal possesses ; in the early stage of development, 

 however, pectoral fins are present. The male carries the eggs under the 

 flat abdomen in small cavities or cells placed longitudinally in three rows, 

 and not covered by any valves or longitudinal appendages of skin. 



** With pectoral and caudal fins. 



Sp. Syngnathus Acus L., Cuv. R. Ani., ed. HI., Poiss. PI. in, fig. r, YAR- 

 RELL Brit. Fishes, n. p. 325, ECKSTROEM L 1. fig. i, 2, &c. These little 

 animals feed principally on small crustaceans (Palcemon, &c.) 



Compare on this genus, and especially in what relates to the details of 

 anatomy and development, RETZIUS in OKEN'S Isis, 1835, s. 396 404, 

 Taf. xi. (from the Trans, of the Acad. of Stockholm for 1833) 5 H. EATHKE 

 Reise-Bemerlcungen aus Taurien. Eiga u. Leipzig, 1837, 4to, s. 152 178 ; 

 FRIES in WIEGMANN'S Archiv f. Naturgesch, 1832, s. 236 256, V. SIE- 

 BOLD in ERICHSON'S Archiv, 1842, s. 292 300. 



ORDER VIII. Pectognathi (s. Pkctognathi Cuv.). 



Branchise pectinate, with lamellae narrow, numerous. Upper 

 jaw-bones united to the sides of intermaxillary tones by immove- 

 able connexion. Palatine arch immoveable. Body covered either 

 with multangular scutes or with spines and rough scales. Swim- 

 ming-bladder in most large, always destitute of duct. Opercula; 

 rays of branchiostegous membrane covered with a dense mem- 

 brane. 



Pectognathi (from TTI/KTO?, coalescent, fast, connected, and yvddo? tJie 

 jaw), bony fishes with jaws coalescent. With the exception of 

 the sub-genus Triacanthus Cuv. (Balistes biaculeatiis) all are desti- 

 tute of ventral fins. Most of the species occur in the seas of hot 

 countries, principally in the Indian Sea and South Pacific. 



The characters of this order were first propounded by CuviER in his Mem. 

 sur la Composition de la Machoire superieure des Poisson* ; Mem. du Mus. n. 

 1815, p. 102, et suiv. See CAMILLE DARESTE, Rech. sur la Classification 

 des Poissons de Vordre des Plectognathes. Ann. des sc. natur. 30 Se*rie, xiv. 

 Zool. 1850, pp. 105 133. 



