174 SALT-WATER FISHES 



The Greater Pipe-fish {_Sygnathus acus) is a striped and 

 somewhat larger kind, inhabiting deeper water. Like the last, 

 it has an egg-pouch. One was taken at Exmouth in 1901 

 with embryos in the pouch. These hatched out next day, 

 and measured 14 mm.* 



The Straight-nosed Pipe-fish {Nerophis aquoreus) lacks the 

 egg-pouch, as do the two that follow. It grows to a length 

 of 12 in., and in colour it is green, the body being covered 

 with white blotches. 



The Snake Pipe-fish (iV. ophidion) is the largest British 

 pipe-fish, growing to between 2 and 3 ft. in length. It is 

 also more brightly coloured than the rest, the body being 

 marked by attractive blue lines and bands. It is often caught 

 in autumn on Southend Pier and at other spots in the Thames 

 estuary, and is also a common fish at Littlehampton, where 

 anglers catch it from boats anchored in the mouth of the Arun. 



The Worm Pipe-fish {N. lumbriciformis) is the smallest 

 of all, not exceeding a length of 9 in. It is familiar in the 

 " whitebait " of commerce, in company with young sprats, 

 herrings, gurnards, flat-fishes, and even shrimps. 



All these pipe-fishes have the characteristic elongated body 

 with bony plates and dividing ridges that give a segmented 

 appearance not unlike that of a glued cane-rod. They are 

 without scales, and their mouth is tubular and devoid of teeth. 

 In view of this last disability, it looks as if the epithet 

 " carnivorous," so often applied to these fishes, might undergo 

 revision. 



The grotesque Sea-horse (^Hippocampus antiquorum), while 

 obviously related very closely to the pipe-fishes, shows several 

 marked departures from their type. These are its curved 

 body, horse-like head, with the knobbed crest and finless, 

 prehensile tail. The pipe-fishes drift in the water extended 

 in a rigid line, whereas the sea-horse more often holds itself in a 

 curved position, the tail grasping some frond of seaweed. Its 

 * Ste. Journal Mar. Biol. Assoc, January, 1902, p. 335. 



