A seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine bony 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.
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 Syngnathiformes are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the leafy seadragons, sea moths, trumpetfishes and seahorses, among others.
Solenostomus, also known as the ghost pipefishes, false pipefishes or tubemouth fishes, is a genus of fishes in the order Syngnathiformes. Solenostomus is the only genus in the family Solenostomidae, and includes six currently recognized species. Ghost pipefishes are related to pipefishes and seahorses. They are found in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.
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 broadnosed pipefish or deepnosed pipefish is a fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is native to the Eastern Atlantic ocean from Vardø in Norway, the Baltic Sea and the British Isles in the north all the way 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.
The chain pipefish is a pipefish species. It inhabits the western Atlantic from Virginia, Bermuda and northern Gulf of Mexico to Campeche and Jamaica, but is absent from the Bahamas. It is a marine subtropical reef-associated fish, up to 38 cm length.
The Gulf pipefish is a species of pipefish in the member of the taxonomic family Sygnathidae. Syngnathus scovelli is native to the region of south Florida, United States, the Atlantic Ocean, etc. S. scovelli is similar to Microphis brachyurus.
The Yucatán pipefish is a demersal fish species native to the Gulf of Mexico.
The long-tailed ghost pipefish or armored ghost pipefish is a ghost pipefish in the family Solenostomidae. The species name comes from the Greek armatura, referring to this fish's armor of dermal plates. Solenostomus leptosoma is now considered a synonym of S. armatus, the valid species identification.
The Halimeda ghost pipefish, Solenostomus halimeda, is a species of false pipefishes belonging to the family Solenostomidae.
Syngnathus temminckii is the most common pipefish in southern African estuaries, ranging from Walvis Bay (Namibia) to the Tugela River on the east coast of South Africa.
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.
Solenostomus leptosoma, the delicate ghost pipefish is a species of false pipefish from the family Solenostomidae. It is an Indo-Pacific species which occurs from the Mascarene Islands east to Japan, Indonesia and Australia. It is mainly found along the edge of reefs where the reef borders on bordering on open sand substrates. They are mainly pelagic in their early life stages until they mature and settle on the substrate to breed. The females carry the eggs in a brood pouch formed by their modified pelvic fins.
Histiogamphelus briggsii, also known as Brigg's pipefish or crested pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Sygnathidae. It can be found in the shallow waters surrounding South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Northern Tasmania. Its habitat can consist of reefs, seagrass beds, and sandy beach and estuarine environments Individuals of this species can grow to lengths of 25 cm (9.8 in). They are an ovoviviparous species, in which males brood eggs and give birth to live young.
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.
Nannocampus pictus, also known as the reef pipefish, is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. They can be found inhabiting reefs and seagrass beds of the western Indian Ocean and the eastern coast of Australia including the Great Barrier Reef. Members of this species can grow to lengths of 10 cm and their diet likely consists of small crustaceans such as copepods. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which the males brood eggs before giving live birth.
