WORM PIPE-FISH. 



preceding page represents this fish but little less than its 

 natural size. It possesses no fin except that on the back, 

 which in the specimen I examined contained thirty rays. 

 The nose is very short, turned a little upwards ; the eyes pro- 

 minent ; from the point of the jaws to the posterior edge of 

 the orbit, and thence to the end of the operculum, the dis- 

 tances are equal ; the length of these two portions together, 

 compared to the whole length of the fish, is as one to twelve ; 

 the form of the body nearly cylindrical ; the vent is situated 

 at the end of the first third of the whole length, with a series 

 of nineteen plates before it, and in a vertical line, with 

 three-fourths of the dorsal fin behind it ; from the vent the 

 body tapers gradually all the way to the tail, which ends in a 

 point ; the number of plates forming the series between the 

 vent and the tail-end, about fifty. The surface of the body 

 is more smooth than in the two species previously described, 

 and the colour is dark olive green. 



