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Ghost Pipefish - Only 6 Known Species
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Read more about the fascinating and Ghost Pipefish, with only 6 confirmed species to date confirmed in our oceans in our marine life blogs. Did you know that Mola Mola are the largest boney fish in the ocean? Click here to read some fascinating facts about Mola Mola.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Ghost Pipefish - Solenostomidae
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Ghost pipefish are related to both seahorses and pipefish, and there are currently six recognised species within the family. But many more may exist due to the lack of research about the species.
They can be found in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Seen from the Red Sea to Japan, Fiji, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Some species are a more common sight than others, with some being only seasonal visitors for a few months a year during the breeding season.
They are often seen close to or inside soft corals, hydroids, seagrasses, algae or crinoids. The preference is for the warmer waters without strong currents and they are usually in the depth ranges of 3-25m.
Ghost pipefish can vary in size from the largest robust ghost pipefish, 15cm to just 5cm for the adult halimeda ghost pipefish. The fish stay almost motionless against a matching host camouflaging background.
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The body is an unusual design, with a long snout usually pointed groundwards. This snout makes up about 44% of the entire fish length. They do not have scales like traditional fish. Instead, a hard body with star-shaped plates on the skin similar to the closely related seahorses. They are similar to pipefish also but have distinctive pelvic fins and a spiny dorsal fin. Varying widely in colour to match the surroundings – green when located in seagrasses and in the deeper reefs they are often red and brown. Usually, they have some black or white spots and mottling on the fins. Often they are in pairs around the reef and, due to the relatively small size and ability to mimic, are rarely seen by divers.
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Reproduction
It is thought the fish is monogamous with the larger female and male accompanying each other.
When reproducing, the ghost pipefish are very different to pipefish and seahorses. The female is the one to incubate the eggs inside a brood pouch. This is formed by large pelvic fins that are fused on the underside of her body. The female carries up to 350 eggs in this pouch. They remain there until they hatch into larvae of about 3mm in length with fully formed eyes and mouth. The larvae then float in the ocean as plankton growing until almost adult size before settling on the reef. Meaning they can travel long distances.
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Diet
The ghost pipefish feed on tiny crustaceans and plankton that they suck up through their adapted snouts. They do this while hanging upside-down. They drift over the seabeds searching for their prey, with eyes moving simultaneously or independently to scan the area effectively.
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Their primary method of defence against predators is disguise, along with the hard plates covering their body making them difficult to swallow.
They do not have any significant threats as they’re not considered a culinary delicacy or to have medicinal powers like their cousins the seahorses. The aquarium trade is not a threat as they are difficult to keep in captivity. The largest concern is the disappearance of natural habitats due to the world\'s reefs overall decline.
At present they are not classified on the IUCN red list, but in Australia there are some laws to protect the species.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Images were provided by Jerry Arriaga and Marcelo Johan Ogata[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]