SYNGNATHID^. 261 



Genus III — Neeophis, Baji7iesque. 



Nematosoma, Eichwald : Scyphius, Risso : Entelurus, A. Dumeril : Acus, 

 (Willugh.) Swainson. 



Body rounded and the ridges wlien present very indistinct: the tail tapering to a 

 point without any or with a venj rudimentary caudal fin. Dorsal fin of moderate 

 length placed opposite the vent : pectorals absent. Ova attached to the loose 

 integument of the abdomen in the males, and not covered by lateral cutaneous folds. 



Geographical distribution. — Coasts of Earope, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. 



M. de la Blanohere considers that these fish possess a peculiar smell or taste, 

 because if chopped up and given as food to aqiiarium fishes as turbot, gurnard, 

 &c., should any chance bits be swallowed they are immediately rejected. But 

 they are very commonly found in the stomachs of marine fishes, rendering thi^ 

 view somewhat problematical. 



1. Nerophis sequoreus, Plate GXLIV, fig. 4. 



Shorter pipe-fish,Peniia,nt,Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 140, pi. xsiii (Ed. 1812) 

 iii, p. 188, pi. xxvi. 



Syngnathus oequoreus, Linn.- Syst. Nat. i, p. 417; Lacep. ii, p. 39; Mont. 

 Wern. Mem. i, p. 85, t. iv, f. I ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 66 ; Fleming, Brit. An. 

 p. 176; Jenyns, Man. p. 486; Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (ed. 1) ii, p. 335, c. fig. (ed. 

 2) ii, p. 442 (ed. 3) ii, p. 409; Fries, Vet. Akad. Handl. 1837, p. 35, and Wiegm. 

 Arch. 1838, p. 246, t. vi, f. 3 ; Parn. Werm. Mem. vii, p. 398 ; Kroyer, Danm. 

 Piske, iii, p. 705 ; Thompson, Mag. N. H. 1839 (2) iii, p. 586 and Nat. Hist. 

 Ireland, iv, p. 240; Schlegel, Dieren Neder. p. 179, pi. xvii, f. 3; White, 

 Catal. p. 43. 



Syngnathus sibhaldi, Walb. Artedi, iii, p. 6. 



Syngnathus ophidian, Bonnaterre, Enc. Ich. p. 31, pi. xxi, f. 73 : Jenyns, Man. 

 p. 487 ; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 390. 



Syngnathus anguineus, Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 30; Yarrell, Brit. Pish. (ed. 2), 

 ii, p. 445 (ed. 3) ii, p. 414. 



Sayphius oequoreus, Nilss. Skand. Faun. Fisk. p. 692. 

 Acus cequoreus, Swainson, ii, p. 333. 



Nerophis cequoreus, Kaup, Lopho. pp. 65, 66 ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 191 ; 

 CoUett, Norges Fiske, p. 202 ; Winther, Prod. Dan. Mar. p. 53 ; Malm, Fauna, 

 p. 596. 



Nerophis anguineus, Kaup, 1. c. p. 65. 



Syngnathus \revicaudatus, T. Cornish, Zoologist, p. 3724 and 1879, p. 476. 

 Untelurus cequoreus and anguineus, A. Dumeril, ii, pp. 605, 606 ; Moreau, Poiss. 

 de la France, ii, pp. 62, 63. 



Ocean pipe-fish and snahe pipe-fish, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iv, pp. 356, 359, 

 pis. ccxl and ccxli. 



D. 37-44, 6. Osseous rings, 28-31'+ 56-61. 



Length of head 12| to 13, of head and body ^ of the total length in the adult 

 as at 12^ inches long, while at 10 it is 4-3, 9-8 it is 4-2, 9-4 it is 4-1, at 8-9 it is 

 3-8, at 8-4 it is 3-6, at 8-2 it is 3-8, showing that the proportionate length of the 

 body to that of the tail increases with age. ^i/es— diameter J of the postorbital 

 portion of the head, 3^ in that of the snout, and | of a diameter apart. Body 

 somewhat rounded, tapering posteriorly to a fine tail : the ridges very indistinct 

 until the fish is dry. Fins— the dorsal stands on II to 13 or 14 rings of which 9 

 or 10 belong to the trunk. Caudal mostly absent in large specimens, with 6 rays 

 in smaller ones. Vent opposite the posterior third of the dorsal fin. All the 

 shields smooth. 6'oZoMrs— olive, darkest along the back, and with narrow trans- 

 verse bluish bands having black edges which are coutmued along the entire 

 length of the body and a portion of the tail. Dorsal rays yellow. A purple stripe 

 from the eye along the side of the snout. The young are not so vividly coloured 

 as the adults. 



