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.
Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons, form the family Syngnathidae.
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 greater pipefish is a pipefish of the family Syngnathidae. It is a seawater fish and the type species of the genus Syngnathus.
The lesser pipefish or Nilsson's pipefish is a pipefish similar to the greater pipefish, but with no crest above the head. Usually it reaches up to 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, maximally 18 centimetres (7.1 in), although in South Wales they are usually not more than 10 to 13 centimetres long. They have a light to dark green-brown colour with bar-like markings on the sides. Lesser pipefish are found all around the British Isles and as far as the French coast, although they have now been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
The banded pipefish or ringed pipefish is a species of fish in the Syngnathidae family.
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.
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 estuarine pipefish or river pipefish is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to South Africa and has been sporadically recorded in the estuarine portions of the Kariega, Kasouga, Bushmans, East Kleinemonde and West Kleinemonde rivers. It can be readily distinguished from another southern African pipefish with which it shares its habitat, S. temminckii, by its much shorter snout. The estuarine pipefish is most commonly found in beds of the eelgrass Zostera capensis.
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.
Microphis lineatus, the opossum pipefish, is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is found in fresh, brackish and marine waters in the West Atlantic region, ranging from New Jersey, United States, to São Paulo, Brazil, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It is often found in rivers, among water hyacinth roots, in mangrove and in Sargassum.
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.
Dunckerocampus is a genus of pipefishes one of two genera known as the flagtail pipefishes. This genus is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans where they are usually found in reef environments. These species are elongated and have a maximum length between 10 and 20 centimetres, with D. chapmani being the only species with a maximum length below 15 centimetres (5.9 in). Their tail is red with a whitish edge, and in some species there is a white or yellow spot in the center. All except D. baldwini have vertical red/brown and yellow/white stripes on their body.
The straightnose pipefish is a species of pipefish which lives in brackish water in the northeastern Atlantic, the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea.
The northern pipefish is a northwest Atlantic species of fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae.
Trachyrhamphus is a genus of pipefishes native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.
Doryrhamphus excisus is a species of flagtail pipefish from the genus Doryrhamphus. Its common names include blue-striped pipefish and blue-and-orange cleaner pipefish. The fish is found throughout much of the Indo-Pacific and tropical East Pacific.
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.
Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus, also known as the double-ended pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. They can be found in reefs, seagrass beds, and sandy habitats throughout the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to New Caledonia and from Japan to Australia. Males of this species are considered mature when they reach approximately 26 centimeters long, but adults can grow to be lengths of 40 centimeters. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which males brood eggs before giving live birth.
Trachyrhamphus longirostris, also known as the long-head pipefish or straightstick pipefish, is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. They can be found in muddy estuaries on the continental shelf throughout the Indo-Pacific from Eastern Africa to the Solomon Islands and Japan. The diet of Trachyrhamphus longirostris likely consists of small crustaceans. Adult individuals can grow to be approximately 33 centimeters in length. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which males brood eggs before giving live birth.
