Marine Fishes of South-East Asia. Gerry Allen

      PLATE 17: SEAHORSES AND PIPEFISHES

      1 GROOVED RAZORFISH

      Centriscus scutatus Linnaeus. Text on page 70.

      2 HARLEQUIN GHOST PIPEFISH

      Solenostomus paradoxus (Pallas). Text on page 70.

      3 GHOST PIPEFISH

      Solenostomus cyanopterus Bleeker. Text on page 70.

      4 SPOTTED SEAHORSE

      Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852

      Inhabits sheltered bays and estuaries; variable in colour, either yellow, brown or blackish; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 30 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      5 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SEAHORSE

      Hippocampus angustatus Gunther, 1870

      Inhabits sheltered bays; variable in colour, also has narrow lines across snout; N. Australia, except ranging south on W. Coast to Augusta; to 22 cm (illustration not shown at proper scale). (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      6 SPINY SEAHORSE

      Hippocampus hystrix Kaup, 1856

      Inhabits coastal waters; distinguished by pronounced spiny ridges on head and body; colour variable; found throughout the region; Indo-W.Pacific; to 15cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      7 LARSON ‘S PIPEHORSE

      Acentronurus larsonae Dawson, 1984

      Inhabits coral reefs or amongst sargassum weed; distinguished by seahorse shape and bulbous forehead; known only from Monte Bello Islands, W. Australia; to 3.5 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      8 EEL PIPEFISH

      Bulbonaricus brauni (Dawson & Allen, 1978)

      Inhabits coral reefs amongst organ-pipe coral; distinguished by eel-like shape; Ningaloo Reef, W. Australia and Indo-Malay region; to 6 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      9 MUIRON PIPEFISH

      Choeroichthys latispinosus Dawson, 1978

      Inhabits coral reefs; distinguished by relatively broad, elongate snout with upturned mouth, and short tail; known thus far only from South Muiron Island, W. Australia; to 3 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      10 SHORT-BODIED PIPEFISH

      Choeroichthys brachysoma (Bleeker, 1855)

      Inhabits reefs and seagrass beds; distinguished by broad midsection tapering at head and tail; found throughout the region; Indo-C. Pacific; to 7 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      11 BANDED PIPEFISH

      Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus (Bleeker, 1853)

      Inhabits coral reef crevices; distinguished by prominent light and dark bands found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 18 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      12 JANSS’S PIPEFISH

      Doryrhamphus janssi (Herald & Randall, 1972)

      Inhabits coral reef crevices; distinguished by red central section of body grading to blue on rear part and fan-shaped dark tail with pale centre and pale outer margin; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; mainly W. Pacific; to 13 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      13 LADDER PIPEFISH

      Festucalex scalaris (Gunther, 1870)

      Inhabits trawling grounds, amongst weeds; distinguished by short snout, and variegated pattern of light and dark spots, blotches and bars; central W. coast of W. Australia only; to 18 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      14 TIGER PIPEFISH

      Filicampus tigris (Castelnau, 1879)

      Inhabits sand-weed areas; distinguished by diagonal dark stripes on head, diffuse dark bars, and abruptly white belly; Australia only - west and S.E. coast, also Spencer’s Gulf, S. Australia; to 35 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      15 TASSELLED PIPEFISH

      Halicampus brocki (Herald, 1953)

      Inhabits coral and rocky reefs; distinguished by skin flaps and branched tassles; N.W. Australia, Great Barrier Reef, and throughout S.E. Asia; mainly W. Pacific; to 11 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      16 SHORT-NOSED PIPEFISH

      Halicampus spinirostris (Dawson & Allen, 1981)

      Inhabits coral reefs; distinguished by short snout, no skin flaps, and broad dark bars with narrow pale bars between them; W∙ Australia (Ningaloo Reef), Sri Lanka and Samoa; to 11 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      17 RIBBONED PIPEFISH

      Haliichthys taeniophorus Gray, 1859

      Inhabits trawling grounds; distinguished by large size, elongate snout, bony knobs above eye, and prominent spines or knobs on body ridges; N. Australia and New Guinea; to 30 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      18 MANGROVE PIPEFISH

      Hippichthys penicillus (Cantor, 1850)

      Inhabits mangrove estuaries; distinguished by relatively long snout, and small pale spots on front part of body; found throughout the region; N. Indian Ocean and W∙ Pacific; to 18 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      19 PALLID PIPEFISH

      Solegnathus hardwickii (Gray, 1830)

      Inhabits trawling grounds; distinguished by large size, pale colouration and dark marks along edge of back; found throughout the region; mainly W. Pacific; to 50 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      20 WHITE-SADDLED PIPEFISH

      Micrognathus micronotopterus (Fowler, 1938)

      Inhabits in shore reefs and tide pools, distinguished by short snout, small, usually unbranched skin flaps on head and body, and 10-12 pale saddles on back; N.W. Australia to Gulf of Carpentaria, also scattered Indo-Malay localites; to 7 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      21 DOUBLE-ENDED PIPEFISH

      Syngnathoides biaculeatus (Bloch, 1785)

      Inhabits coastal waters, amongst weeds; distinguished by large size with deep, laterally compressed snout and prehensile tail; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 29 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      22 SHORT-TAILED PIPE FISH

      Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus (Bleeker, 1857)

      Inhabits sand, rubble or weed bottoms; distinguished by long thin tapering body, and tiny tail; found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 40 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)

      23 SLENDER PIPEFISH

      Trachyrhamphus longirostris Kaup, 1856

      Inhabits trawling grounds; similar to 22 above, but has thicker snout and fewer rings or body segments (41-53 behind anus versus 55-63); found throughout the region; Indo-W. Pacific; to 32 cm. (SYNGNATHIDAE)