STRAIGHT-NOSEI) PIPEFISH. 
683 
still more elongated, the pectoral tins are comparatively 
larger, the still rudimentary dorsal tin is hardly so 
advanced in development, and the embryonic vertical 
tin of the tail, though it is distinct in some of these 
embryos preserved in spirits, in others is indistinct, 
because it is either shrivelled up, or as yet undeveloped. 
I have not succeeded in discovering the least trace of 
the future caudal tin. 
The food of the dEquoreal Pipefish is probably 
the same as that of the other Syngnathince. Still, to 
the best of our knowledge, we have no other direct 
information on this point than that Andrews (1. c.) 
has seen these fishes stripping the stems of Zostera 
marina of the young of Antliea cereus , which were 
attached in a semiglutinous state. 
THE STRAIGHT-NOSED PIPEFISH (sw. tangsnipan). 
NEROPHIS OPHIDION. 
Fig. 174 and Plate XXIX, fig. 3. 
Caudal Jin wanting. Vent situated below the anterior part, of the dorsal fin , the distance between which and the 
tip of the snout is more than 90 % ( 92 %?) of that betiveen the vent and the same point and more than 7 (7 l / s ?) 
times the length of the head. 
Fig. 174. Head and forepart of a Neropliis ophidion ($) from Morko (C. U. EkstrSm), twice the natural size. 
D. 34—40; Ann. 90—100 = (29 — 33) 4- x. 
Syn. Syngnathus teres, pinnis pectoralibus candaeque carens, Art., 
Descr. Spec. Pise., p. 1 (excl. syn.); Lin., Fn. Suec., ed. 
I, p. 126. 
Syngnathus Ophidion , Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, torn. I, p. 
337; Retz. A. J., Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 312; Ekste., Vet. 
Akad. Ilandl. 1831, p. 280, tab. II, figg. 3 et 4; Nilss., 
Prodr. Ichth. Scand., p. 67 ; Retz. A., Vet. Akad. Ilandl. 
1833, p. 157, tab. V; Fr., ibid. 1837, p. 36, tab. Ill, fig. 4; 
Yare., Brit. Fish., ed. 1, Suppl., part. II, p. 47 ; Ke. ( Ner - 
ophis ), Danm. Fisk., vol. Ill, p. 716; Nilss. ( Scyphius ), 
Skand. Fn., Fisk., p. 694; Sundev. ( Syngnathus ), Stockh. 
L. Hush. Sallsk. Handl., PI. 6 (1855), p. 164; Mgrn, ( Nero - 
phis), Finl. Fistcfn. (disp. Helsingf.), p . 70; Lindstr., ( Scy- 
phius) , Gotl. L. Hush. Sallsk. Arsber. 1866, p. 24 (sep.); 
Gthr (Ner ophis), Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. VIII, p. 192; 
Dum., Hist. Nat. Poiss., tom. II, p. 602; Canestr., Fn. 
D'ltal., Pesci, p. 145; Coll., Forh. Vid. Selsk. Chrnia 1874, 
Tillaegsh., p. 202; ibid. 1879, No. 1, p. 101; N. Mag. 
Nattirv. Chrnia, Bd. 29, p. 114; Malm (Scyphius), Gbgs., 
Boh. Fn., p. 597 ; Winth. (Nerojohis) Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, 
ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 54; Bncke (Syngnathus), Fisch., Fischer., 
Fischz. W., O. Preuss ., p. 190; Hcke (Neropliis), Arch. Na- 
turg., Jahrg. 46 (1880), I, p. 335; Mob., Hist. Nat. Poiss. 
Fr., tom. II, p. 68; Day, Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. II, p. 
262, tab. CXLIV, fig. 5; Storm, N. Vid. Selsk. Skr., Trondhj. 
1883, p. 42; Mob., Hcke, Fisch. Osts., p. 104; Lillj., Sc., 
Norg. Fisk., vol. Ill, p. 470. 
Syngnathus lumbricif ormis , Jen., Man. Brit. Vert. Anim., p. 
488. 
The Straight-nosed Pipefish never attains so great 
a size as the preceding species; even 3 dm. is quite a 
considerable length for it, and though the females may 
exceed this measurement by some millimetres, it is im- 
probable, on the other hand, that the males ever attain 
it. The largest male we have had the opportunity of 
examining (from Norway, through Marklin), is 2 J / a 
dm. long". 
The form of the body is still more elongated than 
in the preceding species, and its greatest depth, even in 
the females (excluding their vertical dermal carime), 
does not exceed 2 % h of its length, while in the males 
this percentage is between Vf and l 3 / 4 . At the be- 
ginning of the tail (the anal ring), here as in the pre- 
ceding species, we find a sharp break, at which the 
depth of the body in the young specimens and the fe- 
males measures only about l'l % of its length, in the 
older males 1‘2 % thereof, and from which the tail 
gradually tapers backwards almost to a filament. Both 
in the females and the males the tail is terete (of cir- 
cular section); and in the latter the breadth of the 
trunk may be even greater than its depth, though as 
a rule the case is the reverse; but in the older females 
“ The largest male from Morko presented to the Royal Museum by Ekste6m is 197 mm. long. 
6 The highest percentage we have found is 1'9. 
