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Teleostei (teleosts) > Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathinae
Etymology: Syngnathus: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: F L E Watermeyer collected the type from the Bushmans River, South Africa, and sent it to JLB Smith. We have been unable to uncover any further biography. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Smith.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Brackish; demersal. Temperate

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: Known only from areas of tidal influence within the Kariega, Kasouga and Bushmans Rivers, South Africa.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 10.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4281)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28 - 32; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 3. Greenish brown with close-set dark lines on head and pale lines on body (Ref. 4281).

Occurs in rivers with tidal influence. Found in association with submerged aquatic macrophytes, primarily the eelgrass Zostera capensis (Ref. 26174). Sympatric with Syngnathus acus in the eelgrass beds (Ref. 26174). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Male carries the eggs in a brood pouch (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Dawson, C.E., 1986. Syngnathidae. p. 445-458. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4281)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Critically Endangered (CR) (C2a(i)b); Date assessed: 25 May 2016

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Trophic ecology
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Anatomy
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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00028 (0.00012 - 0.00064), b=3.21 (3.03 - 3.39), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.2 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Syngnathus watermeyeri Smith, 1963