LESSER PIPEFISH. 
673 
the length of the head is somewhat more than 13 % (13'2 %) of that 
of the body, the length of the base of the dorsal fin less than l / 3 
(31 '6 %) of the distance between this fin and the tip of the snout or 
only 88 % of the length of the head, and the temporal carinse — which 
in Syngnathus rostellatus are never more than rudimentary ■ — are dis- 
tinct, starting backwards from the supraorbital margins. Thus, as we 
know the true juvenile form of the Great Pipefish, we are compelled to 
retain the Lesser Pipefish as a distinct species, however nearly these 
two species are allied. 
The Lesser Pipefish attains a length of 16 cm." 
The form of its body so closely resembles that of young 
specimens of the preceding species that in this respect it 
is difficult to state any constant distinction between them; 
but the plate-armour confirms the rule already formu- 
lated by Artedi, that within this genus we must look 
for characteristic differences, first of all, in the number of 
rings on the body. The Lesser Pipefish has only 15 — 17 
rings on the trunk and 37 — 40 on the tail, or at most 
57 in all, thus at least 6 less than the minimum num- 
ber in the preceding species. The middle lateral carina 
of the trunk is usually coherent in this species with the 
upper lateral edge of the tail. It is stated, however, 
that this character may also be found in the preceding 
species, at least in young specimens thereof; and on the 
other hand, the two carinae may be separated in this 
species in the same manner as in the preceding one — 
see the largest of the specimens figured in Plate XXVIII 
(fig. 8, a; twice the natural size in fig. 8, b). The mar- 
supium of the males occupies the first 23 — 26 rings 
of the tail. 
The length of the head measures about 10V 2 — 1 2 1 / 2 
% of that of the body, and its structure is otherwise 
the same as in the preceding species; but behind the 
eyes, on the top and on the temples in front of the 
small occipital carina, it is evenly convex, without the 
carinas which in the Great Pipefish run back on each 
side from the upper orbital margin, or with only a rudi- 
ment of a similar carina immediately behind each orbit. 
The pectoral fins are comparatively larger than in 
the Great Pipefish, and are inserted lower down the 
sides. The length of their longest rays is greater than 
the depth of the body at the beginning of the tail. 
The dorsal fin is supported on 10 or 11 plates, 
but sometimes partly occupies as many as 13. It be- 
gins at a distance from the tip of the snout that mea- 
sures 34 — 36 * 6 % of the length of the body; and the 
length of its base is about 15 — 1 2 1 / 3 % of the same 
length, though, so far as we have been able to ascertain, 
the variations are so restricted that it is always greater 
than the length of the head. Its upper margin is more 
regularly curved than in the Great Pipefish, with the 
longest rays nearer the middle. 
The anal fin is of insignificant size; but the caudal 
fin is comparatively larger than in the preceding spe- 
cies, its length being at least 3 7 2 % of that of the 
body and 38 — 31 % of that of the head. 
The three figures which are given in Plate XXVIII, 
represent three individuals, one female (fig. 8), a young 
male with undeveloped marsupium (fig. 7), and a spe- 
cimen of the fry (fig. 6). These specimens were taken 
at the beginning of July, 1887 in Koster Fjord (North- 
ern Bohuslan) at the surface, where the depth of water 
was about 100 fathoms. They were forwarded alive 
by Mr. C. A. IIansson to the Royal Museum, where 
they lived a few days longer. Their coloration was 
above greenish, shading into brown; but the dorsal side 
itself was lighter, shading into gray. The hover part 
of the sides and the belly were silvery, the former with 
a golden lustre in the male. The darkest colour thus 
appeared like a longitudinal band from the sides of the 
snout, across the eyes, on the postorbital part of the 
head, and on the sides of the body just below the upper- 
most lateral carina. But behind the dorsal fin, at the 
transition to the tail, it was broken off short, and die 
liberal band of the tail overlapped it below. The caudal 
fin was brownish violet. The other fins were trans- 
parent. The iris was golden. No traces of transverse 
bands appeared on the body; but that this is not a, 
constant character of the species, seems more than pro- 
bable, and is easily explained, with the knowledge we 
possess of the generic power of changing colour. In 
some of the specimens belonging to the Royal Museum, 
which have lain in spirits for more than forty years, 
transverse bands of a darker colour appear between the 
rings on the trunk, and in the males the strips be- 
tween the marsupial plates are in some cases lighter, 
in others darker. According to Nilsson too, “the co- 
loration is above dark gray or brown with darker trans- 
verse bands, below yellowish white; the caudal fin with 
transverse streaks of brown.” 
The Lesser Pipefish is fairly common in Bohuslan, 
according to Malm the commonest species of the genus 
a According to Collett. The largest specimen in the Royal Museum is a male 155 mm. long. 
6 Moreau’s measurements of a female Syngnathus Dumerilii, which is probably identical in species with *S'. rostellatus, show, how- 
ever, that this percentage may rise to 37. 
