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Trawl Pipefish Kimblaeus bassensis Dawson 1980
[CAAB 37 282083]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

The Trawl Pipefish is the only species in the genus Kimblaeus and is only known from a few trawled specimens. These well camouflaged pipefish live in rubble or shelly bottomed habitats such as scallop grounds.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Endemic to temperate waters of Southern Australia, from eastern Victoria to Port Lincoln, South Australia; live on rubble/shelly bottomed habitats on the continental shelf at 17-204 m.

Size:

Reaches 165 mm SL.

Food and feeding:

Unknown

Reproduction and early life history:

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young) with the eggs brooded by the males in an enclosed pouch on the underside of the tail just behind the anus. The only known brooding male is 160 mm SL.

Eggs: Not described

Larvae: Not described

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 25-27; P 9-10; C 8; Trunk rings 17-18; Tail rings 44-46.

Head and body: Body elongated, trunk shallow; head aligned with body; snout of moderate length, 40-48% head length; snout depth 28-40% snout length; opercular ridge angled upward towards gill opening, poorly defined or obscure in adults; small dermal flaps usually on head; superior trunk ridge and superior tail ridge continuous; inferior trunk ridge and inferior tail ridge discontinuous; lateral trunk ridge deflected ventrally below front of dorsal fin and confluent with inferior tail ridge.  

Fins: Dorsal fin slightly closer to head than to tip of tail, base of moderate length; anal fin absent; caudal fin small, rounded.

Colour:

Orange with a few dark orange spots on head and broad brownish orange bands on body, each band 3-5 rings wide and separated by space of 1-2 rings.

Similar species:

Kimblaeus is a monotypic genus endemic to southern Australia with no close relatives in Australian waters.

Fisheries:

None.

Conservation Status:

In Australia, Marine listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

State Government legislation: Listed as protected under the Victorian and South Australian Fisheries Management Acts.

Remarks:

Known only from a few specimens dredged in commercial scallop grounds.

Other common names:

Bass Strait Pipefish.

Original citation:

Kimblaeus bassensis Dawson 1980, Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 31(4): 518, figs. 1-2, Tasman Sea, Victoria.

Etymology:

The generic name Kimblaeus is for H.M.A.S. "Kimbla", the vessel that trawled one of the type specimens. The specific name bassensis refers to the Bass Strait origin of the paratype.

References:

Dawson, C.E. 1980. Kimblaeus, a new pipefish genus (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) from Australia, with a key to genera of pipefishes with continuous superior ridges. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 31(4): 517-523

Dawson, C.E. 1985. Indo-Pacific Pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. 230 pp.

Dawson, C.E. 1994. Family Syngnathidae (pp. 440-474), In Gomon M.F., Glover C.J.M. & Kuiter R.H. (eds) The fishes of Australia's south coast. State Print, Adelaide. 992 pp.

Hoese, D.F., D.J. Bray, J.R. Paxton & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells (eds.) Zoological catalogue of Australia. Volume 35 ABRS & CSIRO Publishing, Australia, 2178 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and their Relatives. Chorleywood, UK: TMC Publishing. 240 pp. 

Pogonoski, J.J., D.A. Pollard & J.R. Paxton. 2002. Conservation Overview and Action Plan for Australian Threatened and Potentially Threatened Marine and Estuarine Fishes, Environment Australia, Canberra. 375 pp.