686 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
as usual entirely destitute of tin-rays. According to 
Mobius and Heincke young specimens less than 1 dm. 
long have longitudinal carime on the body like those 
of the Deep-nosed Pipefish, and these carime are fringed 
with spines growing in a backward direction on the 
plates of the body, so that the body, when seen from 
the side, presents a serrated appearance. The pectoral 
tins do not begin to be reduced until the fish is 9 cm. 
long; and according to Collett these fins may still be 
persistent, with a length of 1 mm., in specimens 112 
mm. long. The Straight-nosed Pipefish thus undergoes 
a remarkably complete series of developmental changes, 
a retrogressive metamorphosis, with the earlier stages 
possessing the structure and external form of more fully 
equipped Syngnathince,. The history of its development 
is the most distinct and complete illustration we possess 
of the development (phylogeny) of the whole family. 
The Straight-nosed Pipefish is of no greater im- 
i portance in an economical respect than the rest of our 
Syngnathince. Whether it can do any harm by de- 
vouring the deposited eggs of other fishes, or by reducing 
the supply of food for the fry of more valuable species, 
is a point on which we have no information. That it 
may be used, at least in its younger days, as human 
food, is shown, however, by its appearance amongst 
whitebait a , for, like the Sticklebacks, it now arid then 
forms a part of this favourite English dish, which con- 
sists chiefly of Herring- fry. Its common occurrence 
renders it well-known to the fisherman, and on the 
east coast of Sweden it is this species in particular that 
bears the name of liafsnal (Needle-fish), which Fries 
adopted for the whole genus Nerophis. In Halland it 
is called tangsnipa 1 , a reminiscence of the Danish snippe , 
which Krdyer has transferred to the following species. 
THE WORM PIPEFISH. 
NE ROPHIS L U MBRICIFORMIS. 
Fig. 175 and Plate XXIX, fig. 4. 
Caudal fin wanting. Vent situated below the anterior part of the dorsal fin , the distance between which and the 
tip of the snout is at least 90 % (90 — 92 %) of that between the vent and the same point , but less titan 
5 times the length of the head. 
Fig. 175. Head and forepart of a Nerophis lumbriciformis , 9) from the Weather Islands (Bohuslan). Twice the natural size. 
D. 25—26; Ann. 69— 73 = (17 — 19) + x. 
Sjjn . Acus lumbriciformis aut Serpentinus , 1. Ophidion lumbriciforme, 
Willughby, Hist. Pise ., p. 160; Ray, Synops. Method. Pise., 
p. 47. The little Pipe-fisli, Penn., Brit. Zool. (ed. 1776), 
p. 124, tab. XXIII, No. 62. 
Syngnathus Ophidion, Flmng, Brit. Anim ., p. 176 (nec Lin.). 
Syngnathus lumbriciformis, Yarr., Brit. Fish., ed. 1, vol. II, 
p. 340; Fk., Vet. Akad. Handl. 1837, pp. 38 et 59, tab. Ill, 
figg. 5 et 6, tab. IV; Kr. (Nerophis), Danm. Fish., vol. Ill, 
p. 723; Nilss. ( Scyphius ) Skand. Fn., Fish., p. 695; Gthr 
(Nerophis), Cat. Brit. Mus., Fish., vol. VIII, p. 193; Dum. 
TIist. Nat. Poiss., tom. II, p. 604; Coll., Fork. Vid. Selsk. 
Chrnia, 1874, Tillsegsh., p. 203; Malm (Scyphius) Gbgs , 
Boh. Fn., p. 598; Winth. (Nerophis), Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, 
sev. 3, vol. XII, p. 54; Hcke, Arch. Naturg., Jahrg. 46, I, 
p. 339; Mor., Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., tom. II, p. 65; Day, 
Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel., vol. II, p. 263, tab. CXLIV, fig. 6; 
Lillj., Sv., Norg. Fish., vol. Ill, p. 477. 
Obs. That it was not this species that Jenyns referred to (Alan. 
Brit. Vert. Anim., p. 488), appears partly from his statement that 
it may attain a length of 9 inches (228 mm.), partly from his 
description, which, as Fries has already remarked, can apply only to 
the preceding species. 
The Worm Pipefish is one of our smallest Syngna- 
thince; its length is seldom more than 15 cm., and’ the 
maximum size which the species is known to attain, is 
165 mm. c The largest specimens in the Royal Museum 
are 141 mm. (c?) and 122 mm. (?) long. 
The body is of the same serpent-like form as in 
the preceding species, but less elongated and still more 
terete. The greatest depth is situated in full-grown 
males at the beginning of the trunk, in the females at 
the middle of the trunk. In the former it measures 
“ Cf. Buckland, Nat. Hist. Brit. Fish., p. 170. 
h Tang, lang and snipa, anything long and pointed, e. g. a boat. Tr. 
0 Collett (in Lilljeborg, 1. c.). The specimen was a female. 
