Pigsnout Pipefish, Choeroichthys suillus Whitley 1951
Pigsnout Pipefish, Choeroichthys suillus Whitley 1951
More Info
Distribution |
Tropical, subtropical, known from northern Australia and Papua New Guinea; from Jurien Bay (WA) to Moreton Bay (Qld); in rubble habitats of inshore coral reefs to 15 m. |
Features |
Meristics: D 22-24; P 19-21; Trunk rings 18-19; Tail rings 18-20. Head and body: Body slender, head length 5.2-6.3 in SL; snout short, length 1.8-2.0 in HL, snout depth 3.5-3.8 in snout length. |
Size |
Reaches 80 mm TL. |
Colour |
Variable from brownish, tan or yellow, or almost black with irregular pale blotches scattered on the sides and over the back. |
Feeding |
Undescribed, but likely to suck up small crustaceans through its tubular snout. |
Biology |
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young). Males may be brooding at a length of 50-55 mm. Eggs: brooded by the males in an enclosed pouch on the underside of the trunk , usually in a single layer of two parallel rows. Larvae: Undescribed, but likely to be pelagic and morphologically similar to adults at birth. |
Fisheries |
None known. |
Conservation |
In Australia, Marine listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. |
Similar Species |
Although similar to C. brachysoma, C. suillus has a much more slender body. |
Etymology |
Choeroichthys from the Greek, choiros meaning a pig and ichthys for fish. |
Species Citation |
Choeroichthys suillus Whitley 1951, Rec. Aust. Mus. 22(4): 393, fig. 2, Port Denison, Queensland. |
Author |
Thompson, Vanessa J. & Dianne J. Bray |
Pigsnout Pipefish, Choeroichthys suillus Whitley 1951
References
Dawson, C.E. 1976. Review of the Indo-Pacific Pipefish genus Choeroichthys (Pisces: Syngnathidae), with descriptions of two new species. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 89(3): 39-66
Dawson, C.E. 1985. Indo-Pacific Pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. 230 pp.
Grant, E.M. 1978. Guide to Fishes. Department of Harbours and Marine, Brisbane Qld.
Hoese, D.F., D.J. Bray, J.R. Paxton & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells (eds). Zoological catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. 2178 pp.
Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. Suppl. 63: 9-50.
Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Mem. Qld Mus. 43(2): 709-762.
Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and their Relatives. TMC Publishing, Chorleywood, UK. 240 pp.
Paulus, T. 1999. Family Syngnathidae. pp 2264-2276, In Carpenter K.E. & V.H. Niem (eds.) The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide For Fisheries Purposes. FAO, Rome Vol. 4.
Pogonoski, J.J., D.A. Pollard & J.R. Paxton. 2002. Conservation Overview and Action Plan for Australian Threatened and Potentially Threatened Marine and Estuarine Fishes. Environment Australia, Canberra, 375 pp.
Whitley, G.P. 1951. Studies in Ichthyology No.15. Rec. Aust. Mus. 22(4): 389-408 figs. 1-14.