THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 229 



a long tube which terminates in the narrow mouth. This tube 

 formed by symplectic, proethmoid, metapterygoid, mesoptery- 

 goid, quadrate, palatines, vomer and mesethmoid. Both jaws, 

 and usually vomer and palatines also with minute teeth. Mem- 

 brane uniting bones of tube below very lax so that tube is 

 capable of much dilation. Gill-membranes separate, free from 

 isthmus. Gills 4, a slit behind fourth. Gill-rakers obsolete. 

 Pseudobranchise present. Basibranchial elements wanting. 

 Branchiostegals 5 to 7. Pyloric coeca few. Intestine short. Air- 

 vessel large. Post-temporal co-ossified with cranium. Pectoral 

 ossicles 3. Interclavicles greatly lengthened. Supraclavicles very 

 small. Vertebrae very numerous, first 4 very long. Body scale- 

 less, but having bony plates present on various parts of body, 

 mostly covered with skin. Spinous dorsal entirely absent. Soft 

 dorsal short, posterior somewhat elevated. Anal fin opposite 

 rayed dorsal and similar. Caudal forked, middle rays produced 

 into a long filament. Pectorals small, with a broad base, preceded 

 by a smooth area as in GasterosteidcB. Ventrals very small, wide 

 apart, abdominal, far in advance of dorsal, and composed of 6 

 soft rays. 



Tropical fishes related to the sticklebacks in structure, but with 

 prolonged snout and different ventral fins. A single species on 

 our coast. 



Genus Fistularia Linn^us. 

 The Trumpet Fishes. 



Fistularia tabacaria Linn^us, 



Trumpet Fish. Pipe Fish. 



Head 2 2^ ; depth of body about 2 in postocular region ; greatest 

 width of body 1% ; D. 16; A. 16; mandible 5^/10 in head; snout 

 lYs in head measured from its own tip; maxillary 6}4 in snout; 

 eye 7^ ; interorbital space 7J^ ; pectoral ^]4> \ length of depressed 

 dorsal 3^^ ; of depressed anal ^^Vk \ upper caudal lobe 4^^ ; length 

 of caudal peduncle i y^ ; ventral ifi in eye. Body very long, 

 slender, depressed. Head long, also depressed. Snout very long, 



