Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Syngnathiformes
(Pipefishes and seahorses) > Solenostomidae
Etymology: Solenostomus: Greek, solen = tube + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 25 m (Ref. 37816), usually 0 - 25 m (Ref. 37816). Tropical
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 17.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5463)
soft rays: 17 - 22;
Vertebrae: 32 - 33. Color variable (from brown to pink or yellow) with small black and white spots; 2 elongate black spots between first 3 dorsal spines (Ref. 4263). Total body plates 27-35. Caudal fin truncate, rounded, or lanceolate. Caudal peduncle short or lost in large females (Ref. 48635). Pelvic fin sexually dimorphic, forming a brood pouch in females (Ref. 9829).
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Fiji, north to southern Japan, south to Australia.
This uncommon species is found in coastal reefs and weedy areas (Ref. 5463) or lagoon reefs, often on algal flats or seagrass beds (Ref 90102). Monogamous, always in pairs (Ref. 52884). Females carry the eggs in their pelvic fins that are modified to form a brood pouch (Ref. 205). Feed on small crustaceans (Ref. 1602).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Pelvic fins of females are modified as brood pouch for the reception of the eggs (Ref. 205).
Orr, J.W. and R.A. Fritzsche, 1993. Revision of the ghost pipefishes, family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993(1):168-182. (Ref. 9829)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 96402)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: public aquariums
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), based on all LWR estimates (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.8 ±0.50 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 69278
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (10 of 100) .