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Spotted Pipefish
Stigmatopora argus (Richardson, 1840)
Above and below: Spotted Pipefish seined by K. Parkinson and C. Arnold at a depth of 1m, Botany Bay, New South Wales, October 2001. View larger image.
The Spotted Pipefish is classified in the family Syngnathidae and is related to the seahorses and seadragons.
This fish is usually green with obvious black spots on the dorsal surface of the body.
Males and females are easy to tell apart when they are breeding. During breeding males have a pouch on the belly where they carry their young. They give birth to young pipefish that resemble the adults. Females generally have a wider body than males, with a fine orange band on the upper side. This band is more prominent when the pipefish is breeding.
Spotted Pipefish can grow to 27cm in length. They are thought to live for about one year.
This species is usually found in seagrass beds and weedy areas on rocky reefs. Spotted Pipefish use the prehensile tail to hold onto seagrass or algae. They feed on small crustaceans, mostly copepods and mysids.
The Spotted Pipefish is endemic to (only found in) Australia. It occurs in marine waters from southern Queensland to Tasmania and in south-western Australia.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species resembles the Wide-body Pipefish (view fact sheet) but can be distinguished by dorsal fin placement and colouration.
Further reading
- Edgar, G.J. 1997. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Reed Books. Pp. 544.
- Dawson, C.E. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
