Syngnathus pelagicus
Sargassum Pipefish
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Gasterosteiformes (Sticklebacks and relatives)
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes)
Syngnathus
Syngnathus pelagicus (Sargassum Pipefish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Head length is 12% to 18.2% of SL, snout length is 41.7% to 58.8% of head length, and snout depth is 12% to 29.4% of snout length. Body depth at anal ring is 12.5% to 32.3%, and trunk depth is 15.6% to 40% of head length. Pectoral fin is 12.3% to 22.2% of head length and has 12 to 16 rays. Dorsal fin extends over 1 to 3 trunk rings and 3.75 to 6.25 tail rings, and has 25 to 34 rays. Anal fin extends to middle of second tail ring and has 2 to 4 rays, and caudal fin has 10 rays. Trunk rings number 15 to 18, and tail rings number 30 to 34. Principal body ridges are rather low. Superior trunk and tail ridges are discontinuous near dorsal fin insertion. Inferior trunk and tail ridges are continuous. Lateral trunk and tail ridges are continuous below dorsal fin base. Brood pouch is located under tail, and pouch plates and membranes are present.
Color is tan to brown, with brown stripe on snout and pale band or spot on trunk rings.
Distribution
western and central Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Colombia, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean Sea
Habitat Associations
oceanic waters
floating sargassum weed
Biology
181 mm SL
Associated with floating Sargassum (Ref. 4509). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: in brood pouch or similar structure; bearers (external brooders); parental care: paternal. Male carries the eggs in a brood pouch (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014-07-15. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
distinguished from the other species of the family by the combination of characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Bigelow and Schroeder 1953b
Bohlke and Chaplin 1968
Hoese and Moore 1977
Dawson 1982
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Boschung 1992
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Dawson, C.E. (1990) Syngnathidae. p. 658-664. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Comments On Syngnathus pelagicus