Gulf pipefish

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Gulf pipefish
Syngnathus scovelli.jpg
Syngnathus scovelli
Some derived traits in pipefishes and their relatives.webp
Some derived traits in pipefishes and the relatives of the pipefish.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Syngnathus
Species:
S. scovelli
Binomial name
Syngnathus scovelli
(Evermann & Kendall, 1896)
Synonyms [2]

Siphostoma scovelliEvermann & Kendall, 1896

The Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) is a species of pipefish in the member of the taxonomic family Sygnathidae. [3] Syngnathus scovelli is native to the region of south Florida, United States, the Atlantic Ocean, etc. [4] S. scovelli is similar to the species Opossum pipefish also known by its scientific name as Microphisbrachyurus. [5]

Contents

Description

S. scovelli is an elongated fish encased in body rings. They are uniformly brown or dark olive green in color, with silvery, white vertical bars along the sides, sometimes appearing Y-shaped. Their maximum size is 183 mm SL, although most gulf pipefish rarely exceed 100 mm SL. They have a short snout, its length going into its HL 1.9-2.3 times. [6] This species has 18-19 trunk rings and 30-34 tail rings. The dorsal fin is moderate in length and spans 2-4 trunk rings and 3-5 tail rings. [3] In females, the dorsal fin is usually banded. The caudal fin is present and rounded. The anal fin is greatly reduced, and the pelvic fins are absent. Females have a well-developed keel on their abdomen that is reduced in both juveniles and males. Mature males have a brood pouch on their underside that spans 10-13 tail rings. [6]

Diet

Gulf pipefish feed during the day time with their diet mainly consists of crustaceans such as copepods, amphipods, tanaids, and isopods, among other small crustaceans. Individuals less than 50 mm SL feed almost exclusively on copepods. Larger individuals feed more on amphipods, crustacean eggs, and caridean shrimp. [6]

Habitat

The gulf pipefish is a marine-estuarine species. It commonly inhabits shallow, highly vegetated shoreline areas with clear, tannin-stained streams and rivers. They also commonly inhabit estuarine seagrass meadows. [6] However, their species population have been declining due to the impact of growing human ( Homo sapiens ) population size. This cause negative effects such as nutrient loading, pollution, harmful algae blooms and habitat degeneration. There has been large substantial declines in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean coast and the coast of Florida, United states. The loss of much of the seagrass Meadows in the Indian River Lagoon along with the harmful ongoing algae blooms is causing a decline in the gulf pipefish species. [7]

Reproduction

Not much is known concerning age and growth of this species; they may mature within six months and typically live less than one year. There is also limited knowledge on larval development. The gulf pipefish breeds in fresh, brackish, or highly saline water. Spawning can occur throughout the year, except on the northern Gulf Coast where there is a winter decline in reproductive activity. The male develops a brood pouch at maturity that remains for life.

They have an elaborate courtship ritual that is initiated by the female. The ritual consists of the two swimming together and bobbing to the surface of the water, before intertwining their bodies. After mating, the male rubs his brood pouch along the bottom. This is thought to help move the eggs from the front of his pouch to the rear. When eggs are mature, they are bright orange in color, oval to pear-shaped, and on average 1.3 mm in diameter. The eggs stay in the ovarian lumen until being transported to the brood chamber for fertilization. After 14–15 days at 24.5 degrees Celsius, the eggs will hatch. Males are known to collect eggs from several different females. [6]

Distribution

This species ranges from the Atlantic coastal regions of northern Georgia (US state), southward along the Florida coast into the Gulf of Mexico, and south to São Paulo, Brazil. [6] Populations of gulf pipefish have been reported in freshwaters of Louisiana at Lake St. John about 150 miles inland and in Texas at Lake Texana about 50 miles inland. [3]

Etymology

Sygnathus: jaw together; scovelli: named in honor of Josiah T. Scovell, who helped collect the original specimens [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipefish</span> Subfamily of fishes

Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons, form the family Syngnathidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater pipefish</span> Species of fish

The greater pipefish is a pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is a seawater fish and the type species of the genus Syngnathus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser pipefish</span> Species of fish

The lesser pipefish or Nilsson's pipefish is a pipefish similar to the greater pipefish, but with no crest above the head. Usually it reaches up to 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, maximally 18 centimetres (7.1 in), although in South Wales they are usually not more than 10 to 13 centimetres long. They have a light to dark green-brown colour with bar-like markings on the sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf seahorse</span> Species of fish

The dwarf seahorse is a species of seahorse found in the subtidal aquatic beds of the Bahamas and parts of the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss. According to Guinness World Records, it is the slowest-moving fish, with a top speed of about 5 feet (1.5 m) per hour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-striped pipefish</span> Species of fish

The black-striped pipefish is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic from the southern Gulf of Biscay to Gibraltar, also in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. As the introduced species it is mentioned in the Caspian Sea and fresh waters of its basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadnosed pipefish</span> Species of fish

The broadnosed pipefish or deepnosed pipefish is a fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is native to the Eastern Atlantic from Vardø in Norway, Baltic Sea and the British Isles at north to Morocco at south. It is also found in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov. It is common in the coastal shallow waters, usually on reefs with seagrasses. This species is notable for its "broad" snout, which is as deep as its body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern pipefish</span> Species of fish

The northern pipefish is a northwest Atlantic species of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae.

The chain pipefish is a pipefish species. It inhabits the western Atlantic from Virginia, Bermuda and northern Gulf of Mexico to Campeche and Jamaica, but is absent from the Bahamas. It is a marine subtropical reef-associated fish, up to 38 cm length.

The Yucatán pipefish is a demersal fish species native to the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Kaupus costatus</i> Species of fish

The deepbody pipefish is a species of pipefish endemic to Australia where it is only found along the southern coast. This species grows to a length of 12.9 centimetres (5.1 in) SL. This species is the only known member of the monotypic genus Kaupus which is named in honour of the ichthyologist Johann Jakob Kaup (1803-1873).

Americamysis bahia is a shrimp-like crustacean in the order Mysida, the opossum shrimps. It is native to estuarine waters in Texas and Florida in the United States. It is often referred to in the literature as Mysidopsis bahia and is widely cultured and used in the laboratory for toxicology testing.

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 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.

<i>Hippichthys penicillus</i> Species of fish

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.

<i>Histiogamphelus briggsii</i> Species of fish

Histiogamphelus briggsii, also known as Brigg's pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Sygnathidae. It can be found in the shallow waters surrounding South Australia, New South Wales, and Northern Tasmania. Its habitat can consist of reefs, seagrass beds, and sandy beach and estuarine environments Individuals of this species can grow to lengths of 25 cm (9.8 in). They are an ovoviviparous species, in which males brood eggs and give birth to live young.

Stigmatopora narinosa, also known as the Southern Gulf pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. The species can be found in patches of seagrass and algae in the shallow waters of Spencer Gulf and the Gulf St. Vincent, South Australia. Their diet likely consists of small crustaceans such as copepods and amphipods. Adult males have been measured at lengths up to 11.3 centimeters. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which the males brood eggs from December to March before giving live birth.

Stigmatopora nigra, also known as the wide-bodied pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. This species can be found in the shallow waters, bays, and estuaries of southern Australia from Shark Bay to Brisbane, Tasmania, and New Zealand. They often inhabit seagrass or algae beds in addition to bare sand. Their diet consists of small crustaceans such as copepods and amphipods. Adult brooding males have been measured at 6.5-7 centimeters. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity. in which the males brood up to 25 eggs in a pouch below the tail before giving live birth. Stigmatopora nigra can live to 150 days old and are able to reproduce throughout the year.

<i>Urocampus nanus</i> Species of fish

Urocampus nanus, commonly known as the barbed pipefish, is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. This family consists of 56 different genera and 320 species.

Trachyrhamphus longirostris, also known as the long-head pipefish or straightstick pipefish, is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. They can be found in muddy estuaries on the continental shelf throughout the Indo-Pacific from Eastern Africa to the Solomon Islands and Japan. The diet of Trachyrhamphus longirostris likely consists of small crustaceans. Adult individuals can grow to be approximately 33 centimeters in length. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which males brood eggs before giving live birth.

<i>Vanacampus vercoi</i> Species of fish

Vanacampus vercoi, also known as Verco's pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. They can be found inhabiting seaweed and seagrass beds in addition to tidepools at depths between 2–4 meters from Spencer's Gulf to Encounter Bay, South Australia. Their diet likely consists of small crustaceans such as amphipods and copepods. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which the males brood eggs before giving live birth.

<i>Vanacampus phillipi</i> Species of fish

Vanacampus phillipi, also known as the Port Phillip pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. They can be found inhabiting seaweed and seagrass beds along the southern coast of Australia from Perth to Jervis Bay, New South Wales including the coast of Tasmania. Their diet consists of small crustaceans such as copepods, amphipods, and mysid shrimps. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which the males brood eggs before giving live birth to 50 or less offspring.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe (2013). "Syngnathus scovelli". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202406A18229413. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202406A18229413.en .
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Syngnathus scovelli" in FishBase. February 2018 version.
  3. 1 2 3 Hoese, H.D., Moore, R.H. (1998). Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters, 2nd edition. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. pp. 188-189.
  4. ↑ "Gulf Pipefish". Florida Museum. 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  5. ↑ "Opossum Pipefish". Florida Museum. 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ross, Stephen (2001). Inland Fishes of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 388-390.
  7. ↑ Adams, Douglas H.; Sebastian, Agustin; Paperno, Richard (2022-10-03). "Population decline of Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) in a subtropical estuary: ecosystem changes and habitat loss". Marine Biodiversity. 52 (5): 57. doi: 10.1007/s12526-022-01289-x . ISSN   1867-1624.
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