| Hippichthys cyanospilos | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Hippichthys |
| Species: | H. cyanospilos |
| Binomial name | |
| Hippichthys cyanospilos (Bleeker, 1854) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
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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.
The blue-spotted pipefish is a small-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 16 cm. [3] Its head is in the continuity of the body. The snout is tapered and have a medium length. The body has a somewhat angular appearance due to the presence of four discontinuous longitudinal ridges distributed over the dorsal and ventral side. The caudal fin is small and narrow. The body coloration may range from yellow to light brown through almost black. The color can be plain, spotted or mottled with white, yellow or light blue. [4] The dorsal fin is usually whitish with 3-4 small brownish spots on each of its 20-28 rays. [2]
The blue-spotted pipefish is widespread throughout the tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific from the eastern coast of Africa, Red Sea included, to Fidji and Philippines and from south Japan to north coast of Australia). [4] [5] [6]
The blue-spotted pipefish likes the shallow waters of estuaries from small coastal rivers and mangrove area. [5] [6]
The bluespeckled pipefish feeds on planktonic crustacean. [4] It is ovoviviparous and it is the male who broods the eggs in its ventral brood pouch. The latter includes villi rich in capillaries that surround each fertilized egg creating a sort of placenta supplying the embryos. When fully grown, pups will be expelled from the pocket and evolve in complete autonomy.
The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons. The name is derived from Ancient Greek: σύν, meaning "together", and γνάθος, meaning "jaw". The fused jaw is one of the traits that the entire family have 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 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.
Halicampus is a genus of pipefishes of the family Syngnathidae, containing 12 described species.
Corythoichthys amplexus, known commonly as the brown-banded pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae.
Corythoichthys amplexus, known commonly as the many-spotted pipefish or yellow-spotted pipefish , is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae.
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.
Choeroichthys smithi is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean along the coasts of Reunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa. It is a demersal species, inhabiting tide pools and reef flats in coastal waters where it can grow to lengths of 5 cm. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying the eggs and giving birth to live young. The specific name honours the South African ichthyologist J.L.B. Smith (1897-1968) who collected the material which was used as the holotype by Dawson when he described the species.
Festucalex cinctus is a species of marine fish of the pipefish family Syngnathidae which is endemic to the waters off eastern Australia.
Festucalex erythraeus, known commonly as the red pipefish, is a species of marine pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found throughout the Indo-Pacific, from Mozambique and South Africa to Hawaii, Honshu (Japan), and New Caledonia. It lives among rubble and coral or rocky reefs at depths of 18–40 metres (59–131 ft), where they can grow to lengths of 10 centimetres (3.9 in). They are expected to feed on small crustaceans, such as gammarid shrimps, mysids, and harpacticoid copepods. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs and giving birth to live young. Males may brood at lengths of around 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in). It is exported from Hawaii as part of the aquarium trade.
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.
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.
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.
Ichthyocampus carce, also known as the freshwater pipefish or Indian freshwater pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae. It can be found mainly in freshwater streams, rivers, and estuaries located in the Indian Ocean and the western 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.
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.
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.
