680 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
the elucidation of the confusion that had previously 
involved the synonymy and definition of these species. 
He divided them into two groups: 
* Caudal fin rudimentary, with 4 or 5 (6) short rays; greater 
part of the dorsal fin situated in front of the perpendicular 
from the vent. 
** Caudal fin entirely wanting; greater part of the dorsal fin 
situated behind the perpendicular from the vent. 
The former group received in 1856 of Dumeril 
the Elder" the generic name of Pterurus b . As this name 
had already been employed in 1810 by Rafinesque 
among the Eels, it was exchanged in 1870 by Dumeeil 
the Younger 0 for Entelurus' 1 . As a well-marked stage 
of development in the gradual disappearance of the 
caudal fin, a genus of this nature might well claim a 
place within the European fauna, where the character 
derived from the rudimentary remnant of the caudal 
fin coincides with the above-mentioned character drawn 
from the position of the dorsal fin. But Kaup has 
described a species, Nerophis Heckelii , which shows 
(provided that the description is correct) that the rem- 
nant of the caudal fin may be found in conjunction 
with the opposite position of the dorsal fin; and the 
developmental character loses its validity from a syste- 
matic point of view, as it is not based on any actual 
divergency. 
The genus Nerophis contains 7 known species from 
the Atlantic, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Black 
Sea, and the Indian Ocean. They lead the same life 
as the species of the preceding genus, but are still 
more whip-like in form, and employ the tail as a more 
or less developed prehensile organ. 
THE iEQUOREAL PIPEFISH ( SW. STORA HAFSNALEN). 
NEROPHIS 2EQUOREUS. 
Fig. 173 and Plate XXIX, fig. 2. 
Tip of the tail generally furnished with a rudimentary and fragile fin , containing 4 — 6 rays. Vent situated 
below the posterior part of the dorsal fin , the distance between which and the tip of the snout is less than 85 % 
(81 %?) of that between the vent and the same point and less than 5 times the length of the head. 
Fig. 173. Head of a Nerophis cequoreus 2 85 min. long. Natural size. F. v. Wright in B. Fries. 
D. (37) 40 — 44 (46); (J. (4—60; Ann. 90 — 95 (100) = 
(29— 31)4- 
Syn. Acus nostras cauda serpentina, Sibb., Scot. III., pt. 2, tom. 2, 
p. 24, tab. 19. 
Soe-Naal , No. 2, Str6m, Sondm. Beskr., pt. 1, p. 312. 
Syngnathus cequoreus , Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, tom. I, p. 337; 
Mont., Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. I, p. 85, tab. IV, 
fig. 1; Pall., Zoogr. Boss. As., tom. Ill, p. 121; Swains. 
(Acus) Nat. Hist. Fish. Amph. cett., vol. II, p. 333 ; Jen. 
(Syngnathus) Man. Brit. Vert., p. 486 (9); Fr., Vet. Akad. 
Handl. 1837, p. 35, tab. Ill, fig. 3; Kr., Damn. Fiske, 
vol. 3, p. 705; Kp (Nerophis), Cat. Loph. Fish. Brit. Mus., 
p. 66; Nilss. (Scyphius, ex Risso), Skand. Fn ., Fislc., 
p. 692; Gthr (Nerophis), Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. VIII, 
p. 191; Dum. (Entelurus) Hist. Nat. Poiss., tom. II, p. 605; 
(9); Coll. (Nerophis), Forh. Vid. Selslc. Chrnia 1874, Til- 
laegsh., p. 202 ; N. Mag. Naturv. Chrnia, Bd. 29, p. 114; Malm, 
Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 596; Winth., Nat. Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. 3, 
vol. XII, p. 53; Mor. (Entelurus), Hist. Nat. Poiss., Fr., 
tom. II, p. 62; Day (Nerophis), Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel ., vol. II, 
p. 261, tab. CXL1V, fig. 4; Storm, N. Vid. Selsk. Skr. 
Trondhj. 1883, p. 42; Lillj., Sv.,Norg. Fisk., vol. Ill, p. 465. 
Syngnathus anguineus , Jen., Cat. Brit. Vert., p. 30 (cf); 
Yarr., Brit. Fish., ed. 2, vol. II, p. 445; Kp (Nerophis), 
1. c., p. 65; Dum. (Entelurus), 1. c., p. 606; Mor., 1. c., 
p. 63. 
Syngnathus ophidian , Bl. (p. p., nee Lin.), Fisch. Deutschl., 
pt. Ill, p. 115, tab. XCI, fig. 3; Jen., Man. Brit. Vert., 
p. 487; Yarr., Brit. Fish., ed. 1, vol. II, p. 338. 
° Ichthyologie Analytique, p. 169. 
b Tcxsqov, fin and ovga, tail. 
0 Hist. Nat. Poiss., tom. II, p. 605. 
d ivvElyg, perfect. 
e Sometimes 7, according to Kroyer. 
