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 longsnout pipefish is a pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It has only been recorded from midwater and bottom trawls at depths of 37–212 metres (121–696 ft). The habitat and biology of this species are almost unknown but juveniles have been recorded in the stomachs of blue penguins and Snares penguins.
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 ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus, is a false pipefish of the family Solenostomidae. The species name comes from the Greek paradoxos, referring to this fish's unusual external features. Ornate ghost pipefish are found in the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean along reef edges prone to strong currents from the Red Sea to Tonga. They reach a maximum length of 12 cm. They vary in color from red or yellow to black and are almost transparent. Although relatively common, ornate ghost pipefish are very well-camouflaged and difficult to find. It occurs either as solitary individuals or in pairs, among the branches of gorgonians, in floating weeds, or crinoids where the feed on mysids and small benthic shrimp.
The messmate pipefish is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from the eastern coast of Africa to the Vanuatu Islands. This species can reach a length of 19.8 cm. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade where it is known as the dragonfaced pipefish. Other common names are bloodspot pipefish, reef pipefish, reeftop pipefish and yellow-streaked pipefish.
Corythoichthys intestinalis, known commonly as the scribbled pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae. Other common names used include banded pipefish, Australian banded pipefish, Australian messmate pipefish and messmate pipefish.
The Pacific seaweed pipefish is a species of pipefish, found in the north-western Pacific Ocean, near Vladivostok (Russia), southern to Gulf of Tonkin. It is a marine, oceanic demersal fish, up to 30 centimetres (12 in) length. It is common in beds of Zostera sea grass.
The northern pipefish is a northwest Atlantic species of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae.
Leptoichthys fistularius, the brush-tailed pipefish, is a species of pipefish, family Syngnathidae found in shallow to intermediate depths off the coast of southern Australia, usually in seagrass beds. This species is the largest known species of pipefish, growing to a maximum of 63 cm (25 in) in length. Like other pipefishes, the male carries the fertilized eggs in a pouch under his tail until they hatch. The genus name comes from the Greek leptos meaning "thin" and ichthys meaning "fish", the specific name refers to the resemblance of the head of this species to that of the fluteheads or cornetfishes of the family Fistulariidae.
The robust ghost pipefish, also known as the blue-finned ghost pipefish, Racek's ghost pipefish, robust-snouted ghost pipefish or the squaretail ghost-pipefish, is a species of false pipefishes belonging to the family Solenostomidae.
The tiger pipefish is a species of pipefish native to the marine waters around Australia at depths of from 2 to 27 metres. This species grows to a length of 29.6 centimetres (11.7 in) SL. This species is the only known member of its genus.
The upside-down pipefish is a species of pipefish endemic to the coast of southern Australia, from New South Wales to Geographe Bay in Western Australia, where it is found in rocky reefs at depths of from 2 to 15 metres. It grows to a length of 9.2 centimetres (3.6 in) SL. This species is the only known member of its genus. Like other pipefish it is ovoviviparous but it may breed seasonally, as gravid males have been collected between September and November.
The thread pipefish is a species of pipefish native to the Pacific Ocean around Indonesia, where it is found at depths from 15 to 20 m. This species grows to a length of 2.68 cm (1.06 in), and is the only known member of its genus.
Notiocampus ruber, the red pipefish, is a species of pipefish endemic to the Indian Ocean waters along the southern coast of Australia and Tasmania. It occurs at depths from 5 to 20 m over the continental shelf. This species grows to a length of 16.4 cm (6.5 in). This species is the only known member of its genus.
Penetopteryx is a genus of pipefishes.
The Halimeda ghost pipefish, Solenostomus halimeda, is a species of false pipefishes belonging to the family Solenostomidae.
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.
Doryrhamphus negrosensis, commonly known as Negros pipefish, flagtail pipefish, Masthead Island pipefish or Queensland flagtail pipefish, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean, from Borneo to Vanuatu and the Yaeyama Islands to the Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef. It lives in mud flats and reefs, both coral and rocky, where it is often associated with sea urchins. It is a rather solitary species which may be found in pairs or small groups. It inhabits depths to 9 metres (30 ft), and can grow to lengths of 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in). Although little is known of its feeding habits, it is expected to feed on harpacticoid copepods, gammarid shrimps, and mysids, similar to other pipefish, it may also act as a cleaner fish like other species in the genus Doryrhamphus. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs before giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 4.3 cm. It is a small bluish to bluish-grey pipefish which has a pale stripe along the dorsal side of the head and snout, and a dark fan-like caudal fin which has white margins and an orange base.
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.
