760 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



The family mentioned below has neither spinous dorsal, nor ventral 

 fins ; the Solenostornatidce of the Indian Ocean, constituting the suborder 

 Solenostomi, have all the fins well developed. (Lophobranchii, Giinther, 

 Cat., vm, 150-206, 1870.) (260of, crest; j3pciy^of, gill.) 



Families of LOPHOBRANCHII. 



SYNGNATHI: 

 a. No spinous dorsal fin; no ventral fins; gill openings narrow. SYNQNATHID.S;, cm. 



Suborder SYNGNATHI. 



This group is characterized among the Lophobranchii by the absence of 

 spinous dorsal and ventral fins. It represents the extreme of degradation 

 of the line of .descent composed of the Hemibranchii and Lophobranchii. 



Family GUI. SYNGNATHID.E. 

 (THE PIPEFISHES.) 



Body elongate, usually slender, covered with bony plates which are 

 firmly connected, forming a bony carapace. Head slender, the snout long, 

 tube-like, bearing the short toothless jaws at the end. Gill openings 

 reduced to a small aperture behind the upper part of the opercle. Tail 

 long, prehensile or not, usually provided with a small caudal fin. Male 

 fishes with an egg pouch, usually placed on the under side of the tail, 

 sometimes on the abdomen, commonly formed of two folds of skin which 

 meet on the median line. The eggs are received into this pouch and 

 retained until some time after hatching, when the pouch opens, permit- 

 ting the young to escape. Dorsal fin single, nearly median, of soft rays 

 only ; pectorals small, or wanting ; ventrals none ; anal fin minute, usually 

 present. Genera about 15; species 150. Small fishes, found in all warm 

 seas, sometimes entering fresh waters. (Syngnathidce, Giinther, Cat., vin, 

 153-206,1870.) 

 SYNGNATHINJE : 

 a. Tail not prehensile, usually with a caudal fin; axis of head usually in line with axis of 



body. 

 b. Humeral bones united. 



c. Pectoral fins present; caudal present. 



d. Male with the egg pouch under the tail, formed by lateral membranes which 



become connected along tiie middle, forming a closed pouch. 



e. Dorsal fin inserted over or just before the vent; dorsal edges of trunk and 



tail continuous. SIPHOSTOMA, 344. 



dd. Male with the egg pouch on the abdomen; ridges of the body prominent and 



distinct; caudal fin moderate. DORYRHAMPHUS, 345. 



cc. Pectoral fins wanting; caudal wanting or rudimentary; male with the ova attached 



to the abdomen, without closed pouch; no adipose fin. 



/. Back without peculiar tube. SYNGNATHUS, 346. 



/. Back with a peculiar tube inclosed by the scutes, and extending for a distance 



before the dorsal fin. OSPHYOLAX, 347. 



