FISHES WITH CONJOINED JAWS. 347 



some resemblance to those of a horse in miniature, 

 which has obtained for this little fish the name of Sea- 

 horse. 



FIG, 279. SEA-HORSE. 



OKDER OF FISHES W T ITH CONJOINED JAWS. 

 PLECTOGNATHL* 



The chief distinctive character of these fishes is, 

 that the maxillary is solidly fixed to the intermax- 

 illary bone, and the whole united to the cranium, so 

 as to be immoveable. Moreover, their opercula are 

 concealed beneath a thick skin, which leaves ex- 

 ternally only a small branchial slit. They have no 

 true ventral fins. 



In the family of Gymnodonts t there are apparently 

 no teeth, but the jaws are furnished with a species 



* TrAe/cT^y, plectos, twisted, conjoined : yvdOos, gnathos, the jaw. 

 t yvfjiv6s, gymnos, naked ; 686vs, b56vros, odous, odontos, a tooth. 



