36 



to first dorsal. Below eye an edge with small spines getting 

 higher and more crowded posteriorly. Caudal peduncle slender, 

 very low, its height about thrice in its length. The membrane 

 of the caudal beginning at a distance from the 2. dorsal and 

 anal, which is longer than the base of both fins. Posterior 

 margin of ventrals deeply concave near abdomen in female. 

 A series of sharp curved spines beginning behind head on 

 both sides along upper and lower surface of body and along 

 its lateral line. Caudal as long as head. Colour uniform yel- 

 lowish. Hindmargin of ventrals between their longest rays and 

 caudal at its point blackish. Eyes red. Length So mm. 

 Habitat: Arafura Sea (95 M. bottom muddy)! 



5. Fam. SYNGNATHIDAE. 



Physoclists. Body elongated, angular or laterally compressed 

 or rounded; tail long; head slender, generally with a produced 

 tube-like snout, with a terminal, oblique mouth, bordered by 

 the small intermaxillaries, maxillaries and mandibles. All these 

 bones withouth teeth as also the vomer, palatines and ptery- 

 goids. Posttemporal suturally united to the skull. No supra- 

 cleithrum ; cleithrum firmly united with the transverse processes 

 of the two anterior vertebrae. Of the 4 pterygials the distal 

 parts are fixed between dermal scutes. Pectorals and scapular 

 arch may be wanting. The skin is completely armoured by bony 

 scutes (shields or plates), arranged regularly in series, and forming 

 rings (annuli) round the body, which, with exception of the 

 first, correspond to the vertebrae. Of the vertebrae the three 

 anterior are immovably jointed together. One dorsal (by 

 exception ^absent) of soft rays only, generally opposite to the 

 minute anal, which usually is present. Caudal small, when 

 absent the tail is more or less prehensile. Pectorals small or 

 wanting; ventrals none. Two nasal openings. Opercular bones 

 present, operculum large. One branchiostegal, distally divided. 

 Four complete lobate gills, pseudobranchiae well developed. 

 Gillopenings reduced to small dorsal apertures, the margin of 

 the gillmembranes being fused with the isthmus and the body. 



The male takes charge of the eggs. They are united into 

 a plate loosely attached to the abdominal skin of the male, 



