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.
The northern pipefish is a northwest Atlantic species of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae.
Hippichthys is a genus of pipefishes native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the landmasses around them. This genus contains freshwater, brackish water and marine species.
Hippichthys cyanospilos, commonly known as the blue-spotted pipefish or bluespeckled pipefish, is a marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, native from the Indo-Pacific area.
Cosmocampus banneri is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found from the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean to Fiji, the Marshall Islands, and the Ryukyu Islands. It lives in coral reefs at depths of 2-30m, where it can grow to lengths of 5.8 cm. Although little is known about the feeding habits of C. banneri, it is expected to feed on small crustaceans similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch until giving birth to live young. The specific name honours Albert Henry Banner (1914-1985), an American carcinologist who was an expert in alpheid shrimps.
Doryichthys boaja is a species of freshwater fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It lives in streams and rivers, where it feeds on small crustaceans, worms and insects. It can grow to a maximum length of 41 cm, making it the largest recorded freshwater pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with the male carrying eggs before giving birth to live young.
Doryichthys contiguus is a species of freshwater fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the lower Mekong basin in Lao PDR, Thailand, and Cambodia. It lives among grasses, roots, or shore vegetation in slow moving river stretches, where it can grow to lengths of 11 centimetres (4.3 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs before giving birth to live young. Its body is a dark brown.
Doryichthys martensii is a species of freshwater, benthopelagic, fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Thailand. It lives in rivers and streams, where it is reported to feed on mosquito larvae and grow to a max length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 10.4 centimetres (4.1 in).
Dunckerocampus naia is thought to be a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae, although further taxonomic study is needed to determine if the classification is valid or if this species is synonymous with D. dactyliophorus. It is found in the Pacific Ocean, off of Japan, Guam, Indonesia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands. It lives in caverns or under ledges amongst rocky or coral reefs at depths of 15–40 metres (49–131 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 12 centimetres (4.7 in). It is expected to feed on small crustaceans. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young.
The pink pipefish is a species of coastal pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It has been found in the East Cape area of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, as well as the Solomon Islands, Bali, and Seram Island. It lives in sponges on coral reef slopes at depths of 10–25 metres (33–82 ft), where it can grow to lengths generally less that 4 centimetres (1.6 in). They are found solitary or in pairs, always on an unidentified red tubular sponge which provides them with camouflage. They are expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs and giving birth to live young.
Wass's pipefish is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is known from only six species, which were found in the coastal waters of Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa. It inhabits soft coral habitats and coral rubble to depths of 50 metres (160 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 7.4 centimetres (2.9 in). Little is known of the species’ feeding habits, but it is expected to eat small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. The specific name honours the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist Richard C. Wass.
Halicampus marquesensis is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found primarily off of the coast of the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, although other unconfirmed specimens have been reported in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. In inhabits sandy and rubble habitats from depths of 21–35 metres (69–115 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 7 centimetres (2.8 in). It likely feeds 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 glittering pipefish is a species of marine coastal fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Pacific, from Viet Nam to Fiji and from the Ryukyu Islands to New Caledonia, where it inhabits corals, sand and reef flats to depths of 20 metres (66 ft).< It can grow to lengths of 7.3 centimetres (2.9 in), and is expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other pipefishes. It is secretive and rarely observed. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and 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.
Hippichthys heptagonus, the belly pipefish, is a species of freshwater pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found from Kenya and South Africa to the Solomon Islands, and from southern Japan to New South Wales. It is a demersal species, living in the lower parts of rivers and streams, estuary habitats such as mangroves and tidal creeks, and occasionally in large lakes. It feeds on small crustaceans, such as copepods and cladocerans, as well as dipteran and ephemopteran larvae. It can grow to lengths of 15 centimetres (5.9 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with females depositing eggs on the males, who in turn give birth to live young several weeks later. Males may brood at 6.5–7.5 centimetres (2.6–3.0 in).
The short-keel pipefish is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is known from Darwin to the Torres Strait and southern Papua New Guinea. It lives in coastal fresh and brackish habitats, such as mudflats, mangroves, gravel, sandy and rocky habitats, and coral and shell rubble. It can grow to lengths of 12 centimetres (4.7 in). It is expected to feed on small crustaceans such as copepods, shrimps and mysids, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 7.8 centimetres (3.1 in).
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.
Microphis insularis, also known as the Andaman pipefish, is a species of freshwater pipefish belonging to the family Sygnathidae. This species is found only in rivers and streams located in the Andaman Islands, India. They can reach 16 cm (6.3 in) in length and reproduce through ovoviviparity, in which males carry eggs and give live birth. The Andaman pipefish is considered threatened likely due to the effects of habitat degradation, invasive species, and the alteration of flow of its freshwater habitats.
Ichthyocampus carce, also known as the freshwater pipefish or Indian freshwater pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. It can be found mainly in freshwater streams, rivers, and estuaries located in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific, from Indonesia to the western coast of India. It can live in both inland and coastal waters. This species can grow to a length of 15cm and feeds primarily on small invertebrates and zooplankton. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity, in which the males carry eggs in a brood pouch before giving live birth. Males of this species can brood roughly 280 offspring at a time.
