Pegasidae

Dwarf - wing Ross fish ( Eurypegasus draconis )

The winged horse fish ( Pegasidae ) or Seemotten consist of five types. They inhabit shallow areas of the western tropical Indopazifiks and keep on sand and gravel soils, less often on coral reefs. The largest are 13 cm long.

Features

The body is short and, except for the tail, flattened ( depress - what else in Osteichthyes seldom is ); he 's in a bone plate armor. The small, toothless mouth is inferior, but vorstreckbar; it is dominated by the rostrum, which was created by merging the long nasals. ( Cataphractum Peristedion has a very similar rostrum, but is not related. ) The Kiemenfilamente are arranged in bunches like, as in the Syngnathidae (which is considered as an adaptation to very strong Saugschnappen ). Operculare and Suboperculare are very small, the Praeoperculare contrast is large ( Saugschnappen by jockstrap ). The dorsal and anal fins are short, usually only with 5 soft rays. The relatively broad, horizontal Asked Pectoralflosse contains 10-18 unbranched rays. Pelvicalia belly constantly ( abdominal; I/1-3 V ). C 8; the caudal peduncle is square in section. The five Branchiostegalia are thready. Supracleithrum and Postcleithra, bones in the shoulder girdle, are missing. Of the three Suborbitalknochen the foremost ( the lacrimal ) is the largest. The swim bladder is absent. 19-22 vertebrae, the front 6 of the fuselage are strengthened. The diet consists of small zoobenthos. Spawning takes place in the open water near the surface.

Similar seahorse dried Flügelrösschen are often offered in the local souvenir trade.

System

The systematic allocation of the winged horse fish has long been controversial. Previously they were often conducted as a separate order Pegasiformes. Today, they are counted among the pipefish -like ( Syngnathiformes ).

Genus Eurypegasus

The two species of the genus Eurypegasus have eight or nine bony rings around the tail fin shaft. Her eyes are visible when viewed from below.

• Dwarf - wing Ross fish ( Eurypegasus draconis ) (Linnaeus, 1766 )
• Hawaii - wing Ross fish ( Eurypegasus papilio ) ( Gilbert, 1905)

Genus Pegasus

The three species of the genus Pegasus have eleven or more bony rings around the tail fin shaft. Your eyes are not visible when viewed from below.

• Skulpturierter winged horse fish ( Pegasus lancifer ) Kaup, 1856
• Brick wing Ross fish ( Pegasus laternarius ) Cuvier, 1816
• Slender winged horse fish ( Pegasus volitans) Linnaeus, 1758