The Samoan pipefish, or brown pipefish (Halicampus mataafae), is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, to Sodwana Bay, to Taiwan, the Marshall Islands, and Samoa, where it inhabits tidepools and coral and rocky reefs to depths of 15 metres (49 ft).[1][3] It is a solitary species with cryptic habits and is rarely observed.[2] It is likely to feed on small crustaceans, and can grow to lengths of 14 centimetres (5.5 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying the fertilised eggs in a brood pouch, the folds of which fall well short of the centre of the egg-filled pouch,[4] eventually giving birth to live young.[1][3]
| Samoan pipefish | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Halicampus |
| Species: | H. mataafae
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| Binomial name | |
| Halicampus mataafae | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Corythoichthys mataafae Jordan & Seale, 1906 | |
Etymology
editThe specific name honours Mataafa, a former king of Samoa.[5] It is a listed marine species under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[4]
Identification
editH. mataafae can be identified by its reddish-brown colouring and small pale spots on its trunk and tail.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Kuo, T. & Pollom, R. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Halicampus mataafae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T65367712A115423121. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T65367712A67619440.en.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Halicampus mataafae". FishBase. February 2018 version.
- ^ a b Myers, R.F. (1991). Micronesian Reef Fishes: A Practical Guide to the Identification on the Coral Reef Fishes of the Tropical Central and Western Pacific Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. p. 298. ISBN 978-0962156434.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Vanessa J.; Dianne J. Bray. "Halicampus mataafae". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 10 Jan 2018.
- ^ Jordan, D. S. & A. Seale (1906). "The fishes of Samoa. Description of the species found in the archipelago, with a provisional check-list of the fishes of Oceania". Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries. 25 (for 1905): 173–455.
Further
edit
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