Dunckerocampus pessuliferus

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Yellowbanded pipefish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Dunckerocampus
Species:
D. pessuliferus
Binomial name
Dunckerocampus pessuliferus
Fowler, 1938
Synonyms

Doryrhamphus pessuliferus (Fowler, 1938)

Dunckerocampus pessuliferus (yellowbanded pipefish), occasionally Doryrhamphus pessuliferus, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is a coastal species, inhabiting waters around the Coral Triangle, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and northwestern Australia.[1] It lives in coral patches on sandy and muddy slopes at depths of 15–44 metres (49–144 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 16 centimetres (6.3 in).[2] It is an active cleaner, feeding off of parasitic crustaceans growing on other fishes.[1] The adult fish form pairs and are normally observed swimming along the bottom around large remote coral heads on muddy slopes.[3] This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young.[1]

It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, but is protected in Australia under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[4]

Identifying features[edit]

Dunckerocampus pessuliferus at Wakatobi National Park, 2016

The head and body of D. pessuliferus have alternating reddish-brown and yellow bands, while the tail is mostly red with a yellow spot in the center and marginal white markings.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Pollom, R. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Dunckerocampus pessuliferus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T65367059A115421785. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T65367059A67624145.en.
  2. ^ Dawson, C.E., 1985. Indo-Pacific pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Ocean Springs, Mississippi, USA
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Dunckerocampus pessuliferus" in FishBase. February 2018 version.
  4. ^ Thompson, Vanessa; Bray, Dianne. "Yellowbanded Pipefish, Doryrhamphus pessuliferus". Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  5. ^ Thompson, Vanessa J. & Dianne J. Bray, Dunckerocampus pessuliferus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Jan 2018, http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3180

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]