Solenostomus
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Solenostomus, also known as the ghost pipefishes, false pipefishes or tubemouth fishes, is a genus of fishes in the order Syngnathiformes. Solenostomus is the only genus in the family Solenostomidae, and includes six currently recognized species.[1][2] Ghost pipefishes are related to pipefishes and seahorses. They are found in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.[3]
The animals, none of which are longer than Script error: No such module "convert"., float near motionlessly, with the mouth facing downwards, around a background that makes them nearly impossible to see. They feed on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long snout. They live in open waters except during breeding, when they find a coral reef or muddy bottom, changing color and shape to minimize visibility.[3]
In many respects, they are similar to the pipefishes, but can be distinguished by the presence of pelvic fins, a prominent, spiny, dorsal fin, and star-shaped plates on the skin. Unlike true pipefish, female ghostpipefishes use their enlarged pelvic fins to brood their eggs until they hatch.[3]
Two fossil ghost pipefish genera, Calamostoma and Solenorhynchus, are known from the Eocene of Italy. These are placed in their own extinct subfamily, Solenorhynchinae.[4]
Species
- Solenostomus armatus M. C. W. Weber, 1913 (long-tailed ghost pipefish or armored pipefish)
- Solenostomus cyanopterus Bleeker, 1854 (robust ghost pipefish)
- Solenostomus halimeda J. W. Orr, Fritzsche & Randall, 2002 (Halimeda ghost pipefish)
- Solenostomus leptosoma S. Tanaka (I), 1908 (delicate ghost pipefish)
- Solenostomus paegnius Jordan & Thompson, 1914 (roughsnout ghost pipefish)
- Solenostomus paradoxus (Pallas, 1770) (ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish)
References
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- ↑ Orr, J.W. and R.A. Fritzsche. 1993. Revision of the ghost pipefishes, family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993(1): 168–182.
- ↑ Family Solenostomidae [1] FishBase. Accessed 1 February 2015.
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten. Amazing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004. Page 116–117.
- Orr, JW and Fritzsche, RA. 1993. Revision of the Ghost Pipefishes, Family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993:168-182.