Acentronura breviperula, also known as the shortpouch pygmy pipehorse, dwarf pipehorse and northern little pipehorse,[1] is a species of pygmy pipehorse, a member of the family Syngnathidae, the seahorses and pipefishes.[2] It occurs in the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern Andaman Sea, through the Malay Archipelago to the Western Pacific as far east as New Guinea and the northern Great Barrier Reef.[2]
| Acentronura breviperula | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Acentronura |
| Species: | A. breviperula
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| Binomial name | |
| Acentronura breviperula Fraser-Brunner & Whitley, 1949
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It is a small, drab-coloured pipehorse which is very well camouflaged among sandy and silty habitats,[1] although it is usually found on substrates of coral rubble or in areas of sparse algal growth.[3] It has a prehensile tail similar to that of a seahorse but it lacks an angled head and swims with its body held in a horizontal position.[1] It is normally recorded in pairs and they typically use their prehensile tails to grip onto pieces of algae or debris.[2] It is a carnivorous species which feeds on small invertebrates.[1] Like other syngnathids it is ovoviviparous and the males hold the developing eggs in a brood pouch located on the underside of its body. It is found at depths from 2–40 metres (6.6–131.2 ft).[1] They are sexually dimorphic, the females resemble pipefish but the males have large bellies and bear more resemblance to sea horses. They grow to a maximum length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in).[3]
A breviperula was previously thought to be a synonym of Acentronura tentaculata but is now considered to be a valid species with A. tenticulata restricted to the Red Sea. In Australia A. berviperula is a listed Marine Species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Dianne J. Bray & Vanessa J. Thompson. "Shortpouch Pygmy Pipehorse, Acentronura breviperula Fraser-Brunner & Whitley 1949". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Acentronura breviperula". FishBase. February 2018 version.
- ^ a b Mark McGrouther (30 April 2013). "Shortpouch Pygmy Pipehorse, Acentronura breviperula Fraser-Brunner & Whitley, 1949". Australian Museum. Retrieved 22 May 2018.