FISH. 147 



LOPHOBRANCHII. 



Family.— SYNGNATHID^. 



1. Syngnathus acicularis. Jen. 



Plate XXVII. fig. 3. 



*$*. Jiavo-brwineus : corpore gracillimo, compresso, heptagono ; caudd quadranguld : 



vertice piano ; crista occipitali parum conspicud ; rostro longo, compresso, verticali- 



ter capite angustiore, margine superiore acuto prope recto ; pinna dorsali totd mul- 



tum ante medium longitudinis sitd ; pinnis pectoralibus parvis, anali minutissimd, 



caudali distinctd. 



Long. unc. 5. lin. 10. 



Form. — Very similar to the S. Acus, but the body rather more compressed. The angles are the 

 same, and the middle lateral ridges of the trunk rise upwards in a similar manner to terminate 

 behind the dorsal fin. There are about seventy transverse shields or plates in the whole length, 

 eighteen of which lie between the gills and the vent. Head much compressed about the gills, 

 contained with the snout about eight and a half times in the entire length. Crown nearly 

 flat, with very little of an occipital ridge ; profile falling obliquely, but not much out of a 

 straight line ; between the eyes a slight hollow. Snout elongated, a trifle more than half the 

 entire length of the head, compressed, the upper edge sharp and nearly horizontal in front of 

 the nostrils, vertically much narrower than the head. 



The dorsal commences at one- third of the entire length, and occupies a space about one- 

 tenth of the same, terminating before the middle : the number of rays is about forty or 

 more. Vent about underneath the seventh dorsal ray. Anal extremely minute, of only one 

 or two rays. Pectorals very small. Caudal distinct, much as in S. Acus. 



Colour, — (In spirits.) Of a nearly uniform yellowish brown, paler underneath. 



Habitat, Valparaiso. 



This species, taken by Mr. Darwin at Valparaiso, would seem to represent 

 in that quarter of the globe the S. Acus of the European seas, which, on the 

 whole, it much resembles, though there are several slight differences on a close 

 comparison. It is a female specimen, being without the abdominal pouch, and is 

 probably not full-sized. The dorsal fin being a little injured, and the rays very 

 delicate as well as close-set, it is hardly possible to tell the exact number. The 

 anal exists, but it is so extremely minute that it might easily be overlooked. 



2. Syngnathus conspicillatus. Jen. 



Plate XXVII. fig. 4. 

 S. griseus,fasciis transversis fuscis ; genis albicantibus, vittis dudbus angustis longi- 

 tudinalibits nigro -fuscis : corpore crassiore, subcylindrico, hexagono ; caudd quadran- 

 guld : vertice ekvato ; cristis occipitali et nuchali distinctis : oculis magnis pro- 



