How many species of pipefish are there?

How many species of pipefish are there?

200 species
pipefish, any of about 200 species in 51 genera of elongated fishes allied to the sea horses in the family Syngnathidae (order Gasterosteiformes).

What family are pipefish from?

SyngnathidaePipefish / FamilyThe Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons. The name is derived from Ancient Greek: σύν, meaning “together”, and γνάθος, meaning “jaw”. The fused jaw is one of the traits that the entire family have in common. Wikipedia

What is the scientific name for pipefish?

SyngnathinaePipefish / Scientific name

Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons (Phycodurus and Phyllopteryx), form the family Syngnathidae. Pipefish. Alligator pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) Scientific classification.

Is a pipefish a seahorse?

The pipefishes and ghost pipefishes are among the closest relatives to seahorses and seadragons. Similar to those groups, these fishes have elongated snouts for capturing small prey and are extremely well-camouflaged.

How many pipefish can be in a tank?

Pipefish belong to the same family as seahorses (Syngathidae), and while they aren’t one of the 47 types of seahorse, they share many of the same similarities….Pipefish Facts & Overview.

Category Rating
Size: Up to 8 inches
Diet: Carnivore
Family: Syngnathidae
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons

Are pipefish eels?

They are actually a member of the Ophidiiformes (“snake-shaped”) order which includes a huge variety of elongated fish – but not eels. In fact, they are more closely related to tuna and seahorses than to true eels.

How big do pipefish get?

Pipefish grow 6 to 8 inches in length and have long, thin bodies covered with rings of bony plates. They have long snouts and brownish, fan-shaped tail fins.

Are pipefish hard to care for?

Pipefish can be challenging to care for. They are docile, shy creatures and are typically wild-caught. They often have a robust preference for live foods and may be challenged to transition from eating live food to a frozen diet.

Can you have a pipefish as a pet?

Pipefish are best kept in an aquarium with only pipefish or seahorses. It is possible to keep them with other fish, but it is not recommended. If you do choose to keep them in an aquarium with other fish, ensure the fish will not compete for their food.

Will pipefish eat my fish?

They are carnivores and use their long snouts to suck in small crustaceans, plankton, and other live foods such as small shrimp, copepods and amphipods. Larger pipefish will sometimes eat small fish, and freshwater pipefish will sometimes each insect and worms.

Are pipefish endangered?

Conservation status This pipefish is Critically Endangered due to both natural and human threats to the brackish estuaries and local eelgrass beds in which it lives.

Are pipefish aggressive?

Flagtail pipefish are fantastically coloured. Doryrhamphus spp. do well in reef tanks, however, they are aggressive to their own kind.

What do you feed a pipefish?

Pipe fish will happily snack on shrimp, crab, snail, and polychaete larva floating around in the tank. Popular frozen food options for those pipefish that can be trained to take frozen foods are mysis shrimp, cyclop-eeze, and brine shrimp.

Can you keep pipefish?

Are pipefish easy to keep?

Unless your tank has a large population of resident live food such as pods, most pipefish will be very difficult to keep. The reason is that like seahorses, pipefish do not possess a stomach and cannot store any food, they hardly have an intestine either.

How many species of pipefishes are there?

The horizontally-swimming pipefishes are the most diverse of the Syngnathids, with over 50 genera and 225 species. They are present globally everywhere but the poles, with populations ranging from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego and New Zealand to Norway.

What is a pipefish?

Pipefishes or pipe-fishes ( Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons ( Phycodurus and Phyllopteryx ), form the family Syngnathidae . Pipefish look like straight-bodied seahorses with tiny mouths.

What is the habitat of a pipefish?

Habitat and distribution. Most pipefishes are marine dwellers; only a few are freshwater species. They are abundant on coasts of the tropical and temperate zones. Most species of pipefish are usually 35–40 cm (14–15.5 in) in length and generally inhabit sheltered areas in coral reefs or seagrass beds.

What is the limiting sex of a pipefish?

A physical limit exists for the number of eggs a male pipefish can carry, so males are considered to be the limiting sex. Females can often produce more eggs than males can accommodate inside their brood pouches, resulting in more eggs than can be cared for.