Ornate ghost pipefish

Ornate Ghost Pipefish ( Solenostomus paradoxus )

The Ornate Ghost Pipefish ( Solenostomus paradoxus ), also called harlequin ghost pipefish, lives in the Red Sea and tropical Indo-Pacific from the coast of East Africa to the south-eastern Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and north to southern Japan.

Features

The species is variable black to red or yellow colored usually with small dots. The fish are covered with numerous fringe- like skin tag. Pelagic juveniles and straight to the benthic devolved animals are totally transparent and more slender than the adult form. Full grown they reach a length of twelve centimeters. There are 32-33 vertebrae. The body is protected by bony plates 31 to 35.

Fins formula: Dorsal V/17-21, Anal 17-21.

The caudal fin is spade-shaped or rounded, the tail fins stem is long. The pelvic fins of females are transformed into a brood pouch for the eggs.

Way of life

The fish first living pelagic and go only for procreation for ground-based life over. Then you live on coastal reefs usually between gorgonians, algae or hair close to stars where they are well camouflaged. The Ornate Ghost Pipefish is monogamous and pairs or individually to meet. As with all ghost pipefish are the females with their pelvic fins a brood pouch and carry the eggs until hatching of juveniles around with you. They feed on floating shrimp ( Mysida ) and other small crustaceans.