68 ZOOLOGISCHE MEDEDEELIXGEN — DEEL 17. 



in doubt about this question , for in quoting (p. 38) Syngnaihoides 

 Bleeker 1851 under the synonyms of Gastrotokeus Kaup 1856, he adds 

 behind the quotation („Diagnose unTollstândig , '). 



Now Bleeker (Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Indie II. 1851, p. 231) says: 

 „De soorten van Syngnathus Cuv., welke slechts rug-, borst- en aars- 

 vinnen bezitten en de staartvin missen, breng ik onder den generischen 

 naam van Syngnathoides Blochii" l ). On page 259 he gives a very good 

 and extensive description of Syngnathoides Blochii Blkr., which is without 

 any doubt identical with Gastrotokeus bidculeatus (Bl.) of Kaup and 

 later authors; besides, Bleeker himself quotes Syngnathus hiaculeatus 

 Bloch as a synonym. 



The description of Bleeker' s genus Syngnathoides, completed by 

 the very sufficient description of the typical species (the only one of the 

 genus!), cannot therefore be called „unvollstandig", the less so as 

 Bleeker (Verb. Batav. Genootsch. XXY. 1853, Bijdr. Kennis d. Tros- 

 kieuwige visschen) in 1853, in his list of lophobranchiate fish, quotes 

 on page 5: „14. Solegnathus Blochii Blkr. = Syngnathus tetragonus L. 

 Gmel. === Syngnathus hiaculeatus Bl. Cant. = Syngnathoides Blochii Blkr." 

 He had thus changed his opinion and thinks his Syngnathoides identical 

 with Solegnathus of Swain son of 1839. It is of no interest, that this 

 opinion was erroneous; more important is, that he gives on pag. 9 the 

 following definition of Solegnathus: „Pinnae dorsalis. pectorales. Cauda 

 prehensilis aptera. Caput collo indistincto vel non ciirvato cum truuco 

 unitum". As Bleeker' s Solegnathus is identical with his Syngnathoides 

 and the quoted definition certainly may be called sufficient, the more 

 so as it is completed on pag. 12 by a description of the single species, 

 there can be no doubt about what is to be understood under Syngna- 

 thoides Bleeker 1851 and 1853. 



We understand very well the difficulty of Duncker to abolish the 

 name Gastrotokeus, in common use since 1856 and to chauge it for a 

 much less preferable name. But even when one lacks sympathy for the 

 modern rules of nomenclature, there can not be any doubt, that the 

 name Syngnathoides has the priority. Kaup himself quotes it as a 

 synonym of Gastrotokeus. But in his time a lack of feeling prevailed 

 for nomenclatorial rights. Kaup puts behind the generic name Gastro- 

 tokeus „Heck.", indicating therefore Heck el as author of the name. 

 But as we did not know of any publication of Heckel before 1856 



1) Translated : "The species of Syngnathus Cuv.. which hare only dorsal, pectoral and anal 

 fins and are wanting a caudal, I have united under the generic name of Syngnathoides, reason 

 why I have named Syngnathus biacuieatus Bl. : Syngnathoides Blochii". 



