Phyllopteryx

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Phyllopteryx
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus1.jpg
Ruby seadragon.jpg
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus above,
Phyllopteryx dewysea below
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Subfamily: Syngnathinae
Genus: Phyllopteryx
Swainson, 1839
Type species
Syngnathus foliatus
Shaw, 1804

Phyllopteryx is a genus of small fishes, commonly called seadragons, in the family Syngnathidae that are found along the western and southern coasts of Australia. Since the 19th century, the weedy or common seadragon was the only known species, until the description of the ruby seadragon in 2015. [1] [2] They are closely related to other members of the Syngnathidae such as the leafy seadragon, pipefish and seahorses, which all exhibit male pregnancy.

Species

Two species are recognised: [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

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Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals. It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time, for example in a multiple birth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seahorse</span> Genus of fishes

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" or "sea animal". 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leafy seadragon</span> Species of fish

The leafy seadragon or Glauert's seadragon, is a marine fish. It is the only member of the genus Phycodurus in the family Syngnathidae, which includes seadragons, pipefish, and seahorses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syngnathidae</span> Family of fishes

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common seadragon</span> Species of fish

The common seadragon or weedy seadragon is a marine fish related to the seahorses. Adult common seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple markings; they have small leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp fronds providing camouflage and a number of short spines for protection. Males have narrower bodies and are darker than females. Seadragons have a long dorsal fin along the back and small pectoral fins on either side of the neck, which provide balance. Common seadragons can reach 45 cm (18 in) in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Male pregnancy</span> Pregnancy in males

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<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.

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<i>Haliichthys taeniophorus</i> Species of fish

The ribboned pipefish, ribboned pipehorse or ribboned seadragon, is a species of pipefish found along the coast of northern Australia and New Guinea in habitats ranging from shallow and weedy to deeper and sandy bottoms down to depths of 16.5 m (54 ft). This species grows to a total length of 30 cm (12 in). Their colors can range from greenish yellow to brownish red. This species is the only known member of its genus.

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The ruby seadragon is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which also includes seahorses. It inhabits the coast of Western Australia. The species was first described in 2015, making it only the third known species of seadragon, and the first to be discovered in 150 years. A specimen found on shore in 2007 was 23.5 cm (9.3 in) long.

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Leafy seadragons are widely recognized for their strikingly derived characters, including leaf-like appendages, extreme spinal curvature, elongated craniofacial bones, and large body size. These make them phenotypic outliers in the teleost fish clade . Up until recently, the genome of leafy seadragons was unknown; but in 2022, their genome was fully annotated, along with weedy seadragons. Several significant features have been found in the leafy seadragon and weedy seadragon genomes, including divergent noncoding regions near a developmental gene responsible for integumentary growth; high genome wide repetitive DNA density; and recent transposable element expansions. Genetic diversity in leafy seadragons and weedy seadragons is relatively low as they have low-dispersal life history. Most recently, another species of seadragon was discovered and genetically sequenced: the ruby seadragon, which differs genetically and phenotypically from the two other seadragon species.

References

  1. "Rare Ruby Seadragon uncovered in Western Australia". Western Australian Museum. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  2. Geggel, Laura (18 February 2015). "Ruby-Red Sea Dragon Is Brand-New Species". livescience.com. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). Species of Phyllopteryx in FishBase . June 2017 version.
  4. Stiller, Josefin; Wilson, Nerida G.; Rouse, Greg W. (18 February 2015). "A spectacular new species of seadragon (Syngnathidae)". Royal Society Open Science . The Royal Society. 2 (2): 140458. Bibcode:2015RSOS....240458S. doi:10.1098/rsos.140458. PMC   4448810 . PMID   26064603.