| Halicampus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Booth's Pipefish (H. boothae) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Subfamily: | Syngnathinae |
| Genus: | Halicampus Kaup, 1856 |
| Type species | |
| Halicampus grayi Kaup, 1856 | |
| Synonyms | |
Halicampus is a genus of pipefishes of the family Syngnathidae, containing 12 described species. [1]
The name Halicampus is derived from Greek. The first part of the name, hali, is a word for sea or salt when used in combination with other words, deriving from ἅλς , háls. In this case, hali- has been combined with campus , which is from the Greek word campe , meaning a bend, turn, or curve.
There are currently 12 recognized species in this genus: [2]
Halicampus species are mainly found in shallow tropical or subtropical waters of the Pacific, Indian and South-east Atlantic Oceans. When fully grown they vary from 50 to 200 mm in length. They are generally secretive and often well camouflaged so although quite rarely seen; some species may be quite common. Halicampus zavorensis , for example, is known only from three specimens from the North-west Indian Ocean but it is not known if this reflects rarity or is the result of behaviour (e.g. swimming into clumps of weed when threatened), mimesis (e.g. shape resembling some algae) or crypsis (e.g. mottled and banded brown colour blending into the background). [3] Adults are usually found in less than 100m of water, but juveniles are pelagic and may be found deeper than this. [4]
Adults mainly live in sheltered areas such as coral reefs, seagrass beds or among macroalgae. Some species are most often found on or in coral rubble and sand or mud. Along with other members of the family Syngnathidae, they have protective bony or osseous armor plates covering their body surface. This limits their flexibility so that they tend to swim rather sluggishly, mainly using rapid fin movements. They also have characteristically fused jaws. For those species where the feeding habits are known, the diet consists of small planktonic crustacea which are snapped up by the small mouth at the tip of the snout, as they float past in the current. [5] With a slim snout, relatively large eyes and raised rear part of the skull, the head is very reminiscent of that of a seahorse, in contrast to the long, slim body. There are often projections sticking out from the body and head at intervals along the length of the fish. [6]
Halicampus species are ovoviviparous so they give birth to live young. Like seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) and other members of the Syngnathidae, the eggs are transferred at mating into a brood pouch on the ventral surface of the male. The brood pouch extends from just behind the anus to about halfway along the tail. It is formed by elongated folds of the skin surface which are less well protected by bony plates than the rest of the body. The eggs are incubated within individual skin cells in the brood pouch, hatch, and are released as their yolk sac is exhausted. In those species about which much is known, these new-born fish become free-swimming pelagic members of the plankton until they are about half-grown, when they settle into their preferred adult habitat. [6] [7] [8]
A seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippókampos (ἱππόκαμπος), itself from híppos (ἵππος) meaning "horse" and kámpos (κάμπος) meaning "sea monster". Having a head and neck suggestive of a horse, seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled prehensile tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons they form the family Syngnathidae.
The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons. The name is derived from Greek, σύν (syn), meaning "together", and γνάθος (gnathos), meaning "jaw". This fused jaw trait is something the entire family has in common.
Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons, form the family Syngnathidae.
The pygmy seahorses comprise several species of tiny seahorse in the syngnathid family or Syngnathidae. Family Syngnathidae is part of order Syngnathiformes, which contains fishes with fused jaws that suck food into tubular mouths. They are found in Southeast Asia in the Coral Triangle area. They are some of the smallest seahorse species in the world, typically measuring less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height.
The hedgehog seahorse is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. It inhabits coastal waters from India and Sri Lanka to Taiwan and northern Australia. It is threatened by overfishing, as both targeted catch and bycatch. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.
Microphis is a genus of pipefishes within the family Syngnathidae. Members of this genus are notable among the Syngnathidae for residing in mainly fresh and brackish waters. Adults breed in coastal rivers, streams, or lakes, and fertilized eggs are carried by the male pipefish in a brood pouch extending along his entire ventral surface.
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 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.
The short-snouted seahorse is a species of seahorse in the family Syngnathidae. It was endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the North Atlantic, particularly around Italy and the Canary Islands. In 2007, colonies of the species were discovered in the River Thames around London and Southend-on-Sea.
The Hippocampinae are a subfamily of small marine fishes in the family Syngnathidae. Depending on the classification system used, it comprises either seahorses and pygmy pipehorses, or only seahorses.
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.
Pelagic pipefish, Syngnathus phlegon, is a pipefish species of the family Syngnathidae.
Acentronura is a genus of pygmy pipehorse native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. The name is derived from the Greek ακεντρονουρα, or a-kentron-oura, and refers to the lack of a sting on the tail.
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.
Halicampus dunckeri or also commonly known as the Duncker's pipefish or ridgenose pipefish is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae.
Halicampus macrorhynchus or also commonly known as the ornate pipefish , whiskered pipefish or winged pipefish is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae.
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 spinysnout pipefish is a species of marine pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, from Sri Lanka to Samoa, and from Japan and the Marshall Islands to central Australia. It lives in rocky and coral reefs, rubble, lagoons and intertidal zones, often at depths of 2–12 metres (6.6–39.4 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 12 centimetres (4.7 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.
The Zavora pipefish is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is only known from three specimens found in the Western Indian Ocean, one from Zavora, Mozambique and two from Sur, Oman. Little is known about its habitat or feeding habits, but they are expected to feed on small crustaceans similar to other pipefish. It can grow to at least 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young.
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