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 seven currently recognized species.[2][3][4] Ghost pipefishes are related to pipefishes and seahorses and are found in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.[5]
| Solenostomus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Two Solenostomus paradoxus specimens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Suborder: | Syngnathoidei |
| Superfamily: | Syngnathoidea |
| Family: | Solenostomidae Nardo, 1843 |
| Genus: | Solenostomus Lacépède, 1803 |
| Type species | |
| Fistularia paradoxa Pallas, 1770 | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms | |
Solenostomatichthys Bleeker, 1874 | |
Members of this genus, none of which are longer than 17 cm (6.7 in), typically float nearly motionless with the mouth facing downward, around a background that makes them nearly impossible to see. They feed on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long snouts. The diet of at least one species, S. snuffleupagus, also includes small fish.[4] They live in open waters except during breeding, when they find a coral reef or muddy bottom, changing color and shape to minimize visibility.[5]
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 ghost pipefishes use their enlarged pelvic fins to brood their eggs until they hatch.[5]
Two fossil ghost pipefish genera, Calamostoma and Solenorhynchus, are known from the Eocene of Italy. These are placed in their own extinct subfamily, Solenorhynchinae.[6]
Species
edit- 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)
- Solenostomus snuffleupagus Short & Harasti, 2026 (hairy ghost pipefish)
References
edit- ↑ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ↑ Orr, J.W. and R.A. Fritzsche. 1993. Revision of the ghost pipefishes, family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993(1): 168–182.
- ↑ Family Solenostomidae FishBase. Accessed 1 February 2015.
- 1 2 Short, Graham; Harasti, David (2026-05-10). "Solenostomus snuffleupagus sp. nov., a hairy ghost pipefish (Teleostei: Solenostomidae) from the Southwest Pacific, with an integrative comparison to S. paegnius". Journal of Fish Biology. doi:10.1111/jfb.70497. ISSN 0022-1112.
- 1 2 3 Orr, J.W. & Pietsch, T.W. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 169. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ↑ Bannikov, Alexandre F.; Carnevale, Giorgio (2017). "Eocene ghost pipefishes (Teleostei, Solenostomidae) from Monte Bolca, Italy" (PDF). Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana. 56 (3): 319–331.
- "Solenostomus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
- 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.
External links
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