Syngnathidae — Details

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Overview

Brief Summary

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Syngnathidae is a family of mostly marine fish that includes two subfamilies: the Hippocampinae comprise 47 species of seahorses (genus Hippocampus) and two crested pipefish (genus Histiogamphelus); and the Syngnathinae comprise about 200 species of pipefishes in 54 genera, including the weedy sea dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) and the leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques). The name Syngnathidae is derived from Greek meaning "fused jaw", a trait that all members of this family have in common. Syngnathids have rigid armor plates covering their bodies and are slow-swimming fish found mostly in tropical and subtropical shallow waters around the world, but a few pipefish are found in open ocean environments, especially associated with floating Sargassum seaweed mats. In all species males carry the fertilized eggs either in a ventral pouch or on their tails, and provide parental protection until the eggs hatch.

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Syngnathidae is a family of mostly marine fish that includes two subfamilies: the Hippocampinae comprise 47 species of seahorses (genus Hippocampus), and two crested pipefish (genus Histiogamphelus); and the Syngnathinae comprise about 200 species of pipefishes in 54 genera, including the weedy sea dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) and leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques). The name Syngnathidae is derived from Greek meaning "fused jaw", a trait that all members of this family have in common. Syngnathids have rigid armor plates covering their bodies and are slow-swimming fish found mostly in tropical and subtropical shallow waters around the world, but a few pipefish are found in open ocean environments, especially associated with floating Sargassum seaweed mats. In all species males carry the fertilized eggs either in a ventral pouch or on their tails, and provide parental protection until the eggs hatch.

(Wikipedia 20 January, 2012; Wikipedia 9 December, 2011; Wikipedia 13 November 2011)
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Wikipedia

Syngnathidae

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Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes the seahorses, the pipefishes, and the weedy and leafy sea dragons. The name is derived from Greek, meaning "fused jaw" - syn meaning fused or together, and gnathus meaning jaws. This fused jaw trait is something the entire family has in common.[1]

Contents

Description and biology

Syngnathids are found in temperate and tropical seas across the world. Most species inhabit shallow, coastal waters, but a few are known from the open ocean, especially in association with sargassum mats. They are characterised by their elongated snouts, fused jaws, the absence of pelvic fins, and by thick plates of bony armour covering the body. The armour gives them a rigid body, so that they can swim by rapidly fanning their fins. As a result, they are relatively slow compared with other fishes, but are able to control their movements with great precision, including hovering in place for extended periods.[2]

Uniquely, after syngnathid females lay their eggs, the male then fertilizes and then carries the eggs during incubation. There are several methods for this. Male seahorses have a specialized ventral pouch to carry the eggs, male sea dragons attach the eggs to their tails, and male pipefish may do either, depending on their species.[3]

Classification

Images of species

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References

  1. ^ Sara A. Lourie, Amanda C.J. Vincent and Heather J. Hall: Seahorses: An Identification Guide to the World's Species and their Conversation. London: Project Seahorse, 1999
  2. ^ Orr, J.W & Pietsch, T.W. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 168–169. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
  3. ^ "Seahorses and their relatives". NSW Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. http://web.archive.org/web/20080501212219/http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/threatened_species/general/synganathids. Retrieved 2008-06-13. 
  4. ^ "Phyllopteryx". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=644854. 
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