FISHES OF NEW YORK 349 



Peconic, and Mecox bays. Both young and adults were abun- 

 dant during the summer. 



Males, females and young were abundant at Ocean City N. J. 

 early in August 1887; but the males were more numerous than 

 the females. The egg pouches of the males were filled with 

 eyed embryos, arranged in four series on each side. A male 

 6^ inches long^ taken near Ocean City, August 31, had the pouch 

 unsymmetrically filled, the left side containing more than two 

 jthirds of the whole number of embryos and increasing in carry- 

 ing capacity from behind forward. This is the billfish at 

 Somers Point. 



In the aquarium the species is fond of shrimp eggs and small 

 Gammarus ; but, on account of the difficulty of securing 

 proper food, its life in captivity is usually short. In a slowly 

 circulating tank, at a temperature of 54° F. several individuals 

 were alive and, apparently, in good condition. 



Subfamily hif't^ocj'^wlipiwj^^ 

 ' ; Genus hippocampus Rafinesque 



The body strongly compressed, the belly gibbous, tapering 

 abruptly to a long quadrangular, prehensile tail; head with a 

 distinct curved neck, placed nearly at a right angle with the 

 direction of the body, surmounted by a compressed occipital 

 crest, on the top of which is an angular, star-shaped coronet; 

 top and sides of the head with spines. Physiognomy remark- 

 ably horselike, like that of a conventional knight at chess. 

 Body and tail covered with bony plates, forming rings, those on 

 the body each with six spines or tubercles, those of the tail with 

 four; pectoral fins present, short and broad; anal minute, usually 

 present; dorsal fin moderate, opposite the vent; egg pouch in the 

 male a sac at the base of the tail, terminating near the vent. 



175 Hippocampus hudsonius DeKay 

 Sea Horse; Horsefish 



Hippocampus hudsonius De Kay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 322, pi. 53, fig. 171, 

 1842; Storer, Syn. Fish. N. A. 239, 1846; Hist. Fish. Mass. 222, pi. 

 XXXIII, fig. 4, 1867; Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 907. 

 1883; Bean, 19th Kept. Commrs. Fish. N. Y. 243, 1890; Jordan & Ever- 

 MANN, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. 777, 1896, pi. CXXI, fig. 327, 1900; 

 Mearns, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. X, 318, 1898; Bean, 52d Ann. 

 Kept. N. Y. State Mus. 101, 1900. 



