Ghost pipefish
| Ghost pipefish | ||||||||||||
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_in_Sinlaria_sp._(Soft_coral).jpg)
An ornamental ghost pipefish ( Solenostomus paradoxus ) in front of a molting leather coral of the genus Sinularia . |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||||
| Solenostomidae | ||||||||||||
| Bonaparte , 1846 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Solenostom | ||||||||||||
| Lacepède , 1803 |
The family of the ghost pipefish (Solenostomidae) consists of the only genus Solenostomus ( Gr .: “solen” = tube, “stoma” = mouth), which includes five to six species . The animals live in the Indo-Pacific , in the tropical and subtropical areas, hidden in reefs and between seaweeds. The wide distribution suggests a long pelagic larval stage.
features
Ghost pipefish are five to 17 centimeters long and, compared to the related pipefish , have a short, laterally flattened body that is covered with large, star-shaped bone plates. The number of vertebrae is 32 to 43. Circumorbital bones around the eyes are missing. Ghost pipefish are striking because of their bizarre shape with many skin appendages, similar to the shredded fish . They feed on zooplankton and small, bottom-dwelling invertebrates. Color and skin tag can vary widely within a species, between the sexes and between adults and juveniles. This led to great confusion in the description of the species, which only led to a significant reduction in the number of species after a revision in 1993.
Reproduction
In contrast to the related pipefish (Syngnathidae), ghost pipefish have large, well-developed fins. The females carry the eggs around with them in the large pelvic fins that are shaped into a pocket. For breeding, ghost pipefish gather seasonally in certain areas. They are likely to be short-lived.
Systematics
The family of the ghost pipefish belongs to the order of the pipefish (Syngnathiformes) and, together with the pipefish, is part of the superfamily Syngnathoidea .
species
Five to six species are recognized, depending on the author. Solenostomus paegnius , which is synonymous with Solenostomus cyanopterus by many, is controversial .
| German name | Scientific name | distribution | image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-tailed ghost pipefish |
Solenostomus armatus Weber , 1913 |
Tropical western Pacific. | |
| Robust ghost pipefish |
Solenostomus cyanopterus Bleeker , 1854 |
Red Sea and Tropical Indo-Pacific . |
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| Halimeda ghost pipefish |
Solenostomus halimeda Orr , Fritzsche & Randall , 2002 |
Tropical Indo-Pacific. |
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| Tender ghost pipefish |
Solenostomus leptosoma Tanaka , 1908 |
Tropical Indo-Pacific. |
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| Roughnouted ghost pipefish |
Solenostomus paegnius Jordan & Thompson , 1914 |
Tropical Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Australia and Japan. |
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| Jewelry ghost pipefish |
Solenostomus paradoxus ( Pallas , 1770) |
Red Sea and Tropical Indo-Pacific. |
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literature
- Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World . John Wiley & Sons, 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .
- Rudie H. Kuiter : Seahorses, pipefish, shredded fish and their relatives . Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001 ISBN 3-8001-3244-3 .
- James Wilder Orr and Ronald A. Fritzsche: Revision of the ghost pipefishes, family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993, 1, pp. 168-182, 1993 abstract
Individual evidence
- ↑ James Wilder Orr, Ronald A. Fritzsche: Revision of the ghost pipefishes, family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993, 1, pp. 168-182, 1993 p. 168.
