Teleostei (teleosts) >
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) >
Solenostomidae (Ghost pipefishes)
Etymology: Solenostomus: Greek, solen = tube + Greek, stoma = mouth (Ref. 45335); halimeda: Named for the algae Halimeda, alludes to the species resemblance to the algae; noun of apposition.
More on authors: Orr, Fritzsche & Randall.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 23 m (Ref. 57851). Tropical
Indo-Pacific: from Maldives to the Marshall Islands.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.7 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 18; Anal soft rays: 17 - 19; Vertebrae: 32. This species is distinguished by the following characters: short dorsal, pelvic and caudal fins; truncate or slightly rounded caudal fin; fin membranes entire; olfactory rosette in females with a small dorsal patch of a nasal lamellae, males with a larger patch filling about half of the nasal cavity; no premaxillary spine; fin counts low; multifid dermal papillae; color in live individuals pale green with lighter mottling, spinous dorsal fin membrane between 2 anteriormost spines typically with large black blotches and body with scattered dark spot; small size at maturity, females with eggs 34.3-46.9 mm (Ref .57851).
Found in coral reef of inshore waters. Benthic species (Ref. 75154). Females carry the eggs in their pelvic fins that are modified to form a brood pouch (Ref. 205). Often among Halimeda or coralline algae, whhich it greatly resembles (Ref 90102).
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., R.A. Fritzsche and J.E. Randall, 2002. Solenostomus halimeda, a new species of ghost pipefish (Teleostei: Gasterosteiformes) from the Indo-Pacific, with a revised key to the known species of the family Solenostomidae. aqua, J. Ichthyol. Aquat. Biol. 5(3):99-108. (Ref. 57851)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 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), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
