THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 231 



duced to a small aperture behind upper part of opercle. Body 

 covered with bony plates which are firmly connected, forming a 

 bony carapace. Tail long, prehensile or not, usually provided 

 with a small caudal fin. Males with an egg-pouch, usually placed 

 on under surface of tail, sometimes on abdomen, and commonly 

 formed of 2 folds of skin which meet on median line. Eggs are 

 received into this pouch and retained until some time after hatch- 

 ing, when pouch opens, permitting young to escape. Dorsal fin 

 single, nearly median, of soft rays only. Anal fin minute, usually 

 present. Pectorals small or wanting. Ventrals none. 



Small fishes, sometimes in fresh waters, and found in all warm 

 seas. 



Key to the genera, 



a. Tail not prehensile, usually a caudal fin ; axis of head usually in line 



with axis of body. syngnathus 



aa. Tail prehensile, caudal fin small ; head shaped like that of a horse, placed 



at large angle with axis of body. hippocampus 



Genus Syngnathus Linnaeus. 



The Pipe Fishes. 



Syngnathus fuscus Storer. 



Pipe Fish. Green Pipe Fish. Bill Fish. 



Head 8^ ; head and trunk i ^ in rest of body to base of 

 caudal; depth 3^ in head; D. 38; rings 19 + 38; snout 2 in 

 head measured from its own tip; eye 2^ in snout; interorbital 

 space about i % in orbit longitudinally ; anal i J^ ; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle i % ; base of dorsal a trifle greater than head ; 

 pectoral 3^; caudal 2%. Body very elongate and slender, 7- 

 angled, and with tapering long tail. Median ridge laterally 

 and below well keeled. Head slender, tapering, median line 

 above and below well keeled. Eye a little ellipsoid and posterior. 

 Jaws toothless. Mouth oblique and mandible protruding. Me- 

 dian rostral keel conspicuous, edge finely serrate, and extending 

 to interorbital space. Interorbital space concave. Occiput, nu- 



