| Girdled pipefish | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Festucalex |
| Species: | F. cinctus |
| Binomial name | |
| Festucalex cinctus Ramsay, 1882 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Festucalex cinctus (girdled pipefish or orange-cheek pipefish) is a species of marine fish of the pipefish family Syngnathidae which is endemic to the waters off eastern Australia.
This species can be recognized by its broad head, slender snout, and leafy appendages on its dorsal ridges. Its colour varies from dark grey to orange-brown with pale bars along the back and an orange blotch on the lower gill cover, [3] with occasional sightings of pale or black individuals. [4] It can grow to lengths of 16 centimetres (6.3 in). [5]
Festucalex cinctus is endemic to Australia, [5] found off the coast of Queensland and New South Wales. [6] It is a secretive species which lives in sheltered coastal bays and estuaries, on patches of coral rubble, sand or in areas where there is a sparse growth of seagrass, algae and sponges, [3] at depths of 8–31 metres (26–102 ft). F. cinctus has been recorded in small numbers in the open water near to pilings of piers in harbours. [1]
Festucalex cinctus is demersal [2] and is expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. [1] This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. [6] The males bear the fertilised eggs in a semi-enclosed pouch on the ventral side of the trunk, this pouch has distinct protective plates and its folds barely meet on the midline when it is full of eggs. [3]
Festucalex cinctus is a species of marine animal listed under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and which is protected under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act. Specimens from the tropical part of its distribution, in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, appear to be different from specimens in New South Wales and may represent a different species. [3]
The knobby seahorse, also known as the short-headed seahorse or short-snouted seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It inhabits coastal waters in southwestern and southeastern Australia, from Gregory to Bremer Bay, and from Denial Bay to Newcastle.
Hippocampus whitei, commonly known as White's seahorse, New Holland seahorse, or Sydney seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is thought to be endemic to the Southwest Pacific, from Sydney, New South Wales and southern Queensland (Australia) to the Solomon Islands. It lives in shallow, inshore habitats, both natural and anthropogenic. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.
Duncker's pipehorse, also known as the nose-ridge pipefish, red-and-gold pipehorse, red-hair pipefish or spiny sea dragon, is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. It is a pelagic species which is found in the waters of the continental shelf and the continental slope. Fishermen within its range report that it is caught where there are hard substrates such as hard sand, shale, sandstone or gravel and they are often caught alongside gorgonians, black corals, algae or sponges. It is an ovoviviparous species in which the male bears the fertilised eggs in a brood pouch located under his tail. It is a carnivorous species which feeds on small planktonic crustacean.
The alligator pipefish or double-ended pipefish is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae and is the only species in the monotypic genus Syngnathoides. It is found in shallow water in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific, its range extending from East Africa to northern Australia. This fish lives in habitats of seagrass and seaweed, and hides by positioning itself vertically with its head down amidst the similar-coloured fronds of vegetation. The elongated, well-camouflaged body can reach 29 cm (11 in) in length. It feeds by sucking up its prey.
Doryrhamphus excisus is a species of flagtail pipefish from the genus Doryrhamphus. Its common names include blue-striped pipefish and blue-and-orange cleaner pipefish. The fish is found throughout much of the Indo-Pacific and tropical East Pacific.
Choeroichthys latispinosus, also known as the Muiron Island pipefish or Muiron pipefish, is a species of pipefish native to the western coast of Western Australia, named for the its recorded sighting on South Murion Island. It is thought to inhabit the area from Port Denison to Brecknock Island in the eastern Kimberley region.
Corythoichthys flavofasciatus, known commonly as the network pipefish, reticulate pipefish and yellow-banded pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae.
Campichthys tricarinatus is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the western central Pacific Ocean, from Montebello Island to Cape York (Queensland), and specimens have been recorded around the Northern Mariana and Marshall Islands. It is found at depths of 3–11 metres (9.8–36.1 ft), and can grow to lengths of 4.4 centimetres (1.7 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch until giving birth to live young.
Campichthys tryoni is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. Little is known of this species, but the specimens that have been collected were found on the Queensland coast off of northeastern Australia. It is a rare mainly tan coloured pipefish with brownish markings, it has a white blotch over the eyes, a pale patch above the operculum and it has small white dots along its back and tail. The males frequently show irregular dark barring along their ventral surface. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch until giving birth to live young. The largest known specimen is 7.2 centimetres (2.8 in) long, while males may brood at roughly 6–6 centimetres (2.4–2.4 in). The species was described by James Douglas Ogilby in 1890 from a specimen collected in Moreton Bay, Queensland in 1886 and the specific name honours his friend, Mr Henry Tryon, with whom he enjoyed a collecting trip in Moreton Bay. It is a listed Marine species in Australia under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Choeroichthys cinctus is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean, from Indonesia and the Philippines to Samoa, where it usually inhabits sheltered reef habitats at depths over 10 metres (33 ft). It can grow to lengths of 10 centimetres (3.9 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch until giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 3 centimetres (1.2 in).
Choeroichthys sculptus, the sculptured pipefish, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae.
Choeroichthys suillus is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to Australia, occurring from Perth, along northern Australia, to southern Queensland. It lives in coral reefs to a depth of 14 metres (46 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 6 centimetres (2.4 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. Within the reef it is found among coral rubble.
Doryrhamphus negrosensis, commonly known as Negros pipefish, flagtail pipefish, Masthead Island pipefish or Queensland flagtail pipefish, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean, from Borneo to Vanuatu and the Yaeyama Islands to the Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef. It lives in mud flats and reefs, both coral and rocky, where it is often associated with sea urchins. It is a rather solitary species which may be found in pairs or small groups. It inhabits depths to 9 metres (30 ft), and can grow to lengths of 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in). Although little is known of its feeding habits, it is expected to feed on harpacticoid copepods, gammarid shrimps, and mysids, similar to other pipefish, it may also act as a cleaner fish like other species in the genus Doryrhamphus. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs before giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 4.3 cm. It is a small bluish to bluish-grey pipefish which has a pale stripe along the dorsal side of the head and snout, and a dark fan-like caudal fin which has white margins and an orange base.
Gibbs’ pipefish is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Pacific, from the Great Barrier Reef to Palau, the Chesterfield Islands and New Caledonia. Unconfirmed specimens have been reported off of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It lives in coastal sandy or rubble habitats, as well as areas with sponges and coralline algae, where it can grow to lengths of 8 centimetres (3.1 in). It is expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs and giving birth to live young. Males may brood at lengths of around 5 centimetres (2.0 in). The specific name honours P. E. Gibbs, who collected the type material.
The ladder pipefish is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to Western Australia, occurring from Shark Bay to the Monte Bello Islands. It is a habitat generalist, with species samples being taken from trawls, from among weeds and algae and one sample from a pond. It is reported to occur on rocky-reefs in inlets, bays and lagoons, as well as shallow seagrass beds. It is expected to feed on small crustaceans, and can grow to lengths of 18 centimetres (7.1 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs and giving birth to live young.
Hippocampus dahli is a fish species of the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to the Australian northeastern coast, from Darwin to Brisbane, where it inhabits estuarine channels and rubble or soft substrates to depths of 21 metres (69 ft). Little is known of its feeding habits, but it is likely to feed on small crustaceans such as copepods, amphipods, and gammarid, caprellid, and caridean shrimps, similar to other seahorses. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. This species is not listed in FishBase and many authorities treat it as a synonym of Hippocampus trimaculatus.
Gray's pipefish, also known as the mud pipefish or spiny pipefish is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific in the Gulf of Aden, Sri Lanka, and from the Gulf of Thailand to Japan, the Marshall Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. It lives to depth of 100 metres (330 ft), and planktonic juveniles have been found above depths of 3,000 metres (1.9 mi). It occurs in muddy habitats, in estuaries, and on coral reefs, where it likely feeds on small crustaceans. It can grow to lengths of 20 centimetres (7.9 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.
The Samoan pipefish, or brown pipefish, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, to Sodwana Bay, to Taiwan, the Marshall Islands, and Samoa, where it inhabits tidepools and coral and rocky reefs to depths of 15 metres (49 ft). It is a solitary species with cryptic habits and is rarely observed. It is likely to feed on small crustaceans, and can grow to lengths of 14 centimetres (5.5 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying the fertilised eggs in a brood pouch, the folds of which fall well short of the centre of the egg-filled pouch, eventually giving birth to live young. The specific name honours Mataafa, a former king of Samoa. It is a listed marine species under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The beady pipefish is a species of pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific, from the western Persian Gulf, to the north central Indian Ocean, to Japan and Australia. It lives in the lower parts of streams and rivers, estuarine habitats such as seagrass beds and mangroves, and shallow inshore habitats, where it can grow to lengths of 16–18 centimetres (6.3–7.1 in). It is expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. Average brood size is 177.
Hippichthys spicifer, commonly known as bellybarred pipefish, banded freshwater pipefish, or blue spotted pipefish, is a species of pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Sri Lanka and Samoa. It lives in shallow coastal and estuarine habitats such as mangroves, tidal creeks, and the lower reaches of rivers, where it can grow to lengths of 18 centimetres (7.1 in). It is expected to feed on small crustaceans and mosquito larvae. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. It is reproductively active all year, with males and females reaching sexual maturity at 10.8 and 10 centimetres respectively. Brood size can vary significantly, from 114 to 1764, with an average of 604.4 plus or minus 322.8.
