Schultz's pipefish explained

Schultz's pipefish, Corythoichthys schultzi, is a pipefish of the family Syngnathidae.

Etymology

The genus name Corythoichthys derives from the Greek words coris meaning "helmet" and ichthus meaning "fish". The specific name schultzi honors Leonard Peter Schultz, an American ichthyologist of the Smithsonian Institution (Washington).^[1]

Description

Corythoichthys schultzi can reach a length up to 16cm (06inches) in males. The body is cylindrical and very elongated. These pipefishes have a cryptic coloration making the difficult to be detected by both prey and predators. The basic color of the body is whitish, with small black, brown and reddish dashes and yellowish rings. The eyes are protruding and the snout is long, slightly compressed and thinner than the body. The caudal fin is present but quite small. Adults may form small aggregation. Ovoviviparous, the male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail. In this pouch they also carry the developing young pipefishes.

Distribution

This species is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific Oceans, from Red Sea and East Africa to Tonga, throughout Micronesia, northern Australia and New Caledonia.

Habitat

Schultz's pipefish is a benthic species associated with coral reefs. It usually can be found in lagoon and seaward reefs at depths between 2mand30mm (07feetand100feetm). The adults live in pairs or small groups when out in the open and find a safe places to spend the night.

References

Biolib
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Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno i T. Yoshino, 1984. The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1. Tokai University Press, Tòquio, Japó. 437 p.
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Nouguier, J. i D. Refait, 1990. Poissons de l'Océan Indien: les Iles Maldives. Réalisations Editoriales Pédagogiques, París. 304 p.
Randall, J.E. i C. Anderson, 1993. Annotated checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Maldives Islands. Ichthyol. Bull. of the J.L.B. Smith Inst. of Ichthyol. 59:47.
Werner, T.B i G.R. Allen, 1998. Reef fishes of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. A T. Werner i G. Allen (eds). A rapid biodiversity assessment of the coral reefs of Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. RAP Working Papers 11, Conservation International, Washington DC.

Bibliography

Dawson, C. E., 1977: Review of the pipefish genus Corythoichthys with description of three new species. Copeia 1977: 295-338.
Dawson, C.E., 1985. Indo-Pacific pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Ocean Springs, Mississippi, US.
Eschmeyer, William N.: Genera of Recent Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, California, US. iii + 697. . Any 1990.
Eschmeyer, William N., ed. 1998. Catalog of Fishes. Special Publication of the Center for Biodiversity Research and Information, núm. 1, vol. 1-3. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, California, US. .
Hardy, J.D. Jr., 2003. Coral reef fish species. NOAA\National Oceanographic Data Center. NODC Coral Reef Data and Information Management System. US. 537 p.
Helfman, G., B. Collette i D. Facey: The diversity of fishes. Blackwell Science, Malden, Massachusetts, US, 1997.
Lourie, S. A., Amanda C.J. Vincent i Heather J. Hall: Seahorses: An Identification Guide to the World's Species and their Conservation. Dorling Print Limited, Dorling House: London, Great Britain: Project Seahorse, 1999.
Moyle, P. i J. Cech.: Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, US: Prentice-Hall. Any 2000.
Nelson, Joseph S.: Fishes of the World, John Wiley & Sons. . Any 2006.
Wheeler, A.: The World Encyclopedia of Fishes, London: Macdonald. Any 1985.

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Thompson, Vanessa J. . Dianne J. Bray . Corythoichthys schultzi . Fishes of Australia . 27 May 2018 . Museums Victoria.