THE SEA-HORSE 289 



The Pipefishes swim in a half-vertical position, as if lit- 

 erally leading up to the introduction of the next species, 

 which swims bolt upright in the water, and fairly caps the 

 climax in fishes. All the Pipefishes are small creatures. 

 Our largest species is found on the Pacific coast, and "reaches 

 a length of 18 inches." (Jordan and Evermann.) There 

 exist in North American waters about thirty species. 



The Sea-Horse^ bears not the faintest resemblance to 

 a typical fish, and is the strangest-looking creature of the 

 whole fish world. It looks like a Chinese dragon reduced 

 about a thousand diameters. Its minute pectoral fins are 

 so inconspicuous they are at first quite unnoticed, and the 

 fan-shaped dorsal fin seems when in action like a stationary 

 fan with which the outlandish creature frequently tries to fan 

 itself. 



At all times the Sea-Horse swims in a perpendicular atti- 

 tude, and with its prehensile tail it holds itself stationary by 

 grasping any inanimate object that either grows upon the 

 bottom or floats in the water. Like the pipefish, it is com- 

 pletely encased in a strong suit of bony plate-armor. The 

 average aquarium Sea-Horse is seldom more than 4 inches 

 in length, but the Gigantic species {TI. ingens) of the Pacific 

 coast "reaches a length of nearly a foot." (J. & E.) The 

 smallest species, found abundantly about Pensacola, is only 

 2 inches long. 



' Hip-po-ca7n-pus hep-tag' o-nus. 



