False pipefish
| Ghostpipefish Temporal range: 55.8–0 Ma Eocene to Present[1] |
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| Solenostomus paradoxus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Solenostomidae |
| Genus: | Solenostomus Lacépède, 1803 |
| Species | |
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Solenostomus armatus |
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The ghost pipefishes (also called false pipefishes or tubemouth fishes) are a small family Solenostomidae in the order Syngnathiformes. The family consists of just a single genus, Solenostomus, with five species. Ghostpipefishes are related to pipefishes and seahorses. They are found in tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, from Asia to Africa.[2]
The animals, none of which are longer than 15 centimetres (5.9 in), float near motionlessly, with the mouth facing downwards, around a background that makes them nearly impossible to see. They feed on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long snout. They live in open waters except during breeding, when they find a coral reef or muddy bottom, changing color and shape to minimize visibility.[2]
In many respects, they are similar to the pipefishes, but can be distinguished by the presence of pelvic fins, a prominent, spiny, dorsal fin, and star-shaped plates on the skin. Unlike true pipefish, female ghostpipefishes use their enlarged pelvic fins to brood their eggs until they hatch.[2]
[edit] Species
- Long-tailed Ghostpipefish, Solenostomus armatus (Weber, 1913)
- Ghost Pipefish, Solenostomus cyanopterus (Bleeker, 1854)
- Halimeda Ghostpipefish, Solenostomus halimeda (Orr, Fritzsche and Randall, 2002)
- Delicate Ghostpipefish, Solenostomus leptosoma (Tanaka, 1908)
- Harlequin Ghostpipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus (Pallas, 1770)
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Solenostomus |
[edit] References
- ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: p.560. http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
- ^ a b c Orr, J.W. & Pietsch, T.W. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 169. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- "Solenostomus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=166440. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
- Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten. Amazing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004. Page 116-117.
