Family Syngnathidae

by. Nolvyhindarto,S.Si_Encartablog_Animals

Pipefishes

Selected Characters: Body elongate, encased in bony rings;
one dorsal fin; long snout with tiny terminal mouth.

class="Normal_0020_0028Web_0029__Char" style=" text-decoration: none">This is a family of elongate fishes whose bodies are encased in a
series of bony rings. Most occur in marine or brackish water, but some
pipefishes live in freshwater. The mating system of a typical syngnathid
species is unusual: the male first performs a complex dancelike
ritual, then the female deposits her eggs in a brood pouch on the male's
abdomen, where he carries them until they hatch. This family includes
the seahorses (subfamily Hippocampinae) as well as the pipefishes (subfamily
Syngnathinae). There are about 215 species recognized in this family,
only one of which resides in Puget Sound. The Bay Pipefish grows to
33 cm long and can often be found in eelgrass beds. This species is
common in Puget Sound.

Species

Syngnathus leptorhynchus Bay Pipefish

Retrieved from:” http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/ichthyology”