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Sawtooth Pipefish Maroubra perserrata Whitley 1948
[CAAB 37 282085]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

The Sawtooth Pipefish is found only on Australia's south coast and is often seen hiding in rocky crevices and under ledges.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Endemic to temperate southern Australian waters from Byron Bay, northern New South Wales to Rottnest Island, Western Australia; temperate; inhabits coastal rocky reefs to 15 m, staying beneath ledges and in caves during day.

Size:

Reaches 85 mm SL.

Food and feeding:

Feeds on benthic crustaceans and zooplankton.

Reproduction and early life history:

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young). The eggs are brooded by the males in a sac-like brood pouch without separate bilateral membranous folds. Males are likely to be brooding at 33.5 mm TL. Breeding several times during the summer months within the first year of life.

Eggs: Large, and large males usually have around 60 eggs per brood.

Larvae: Hatch after around 22 days. Body rings are present at an early stage; the anal fin is reduced.

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 23-27; P 16-20; A 4; C 10; trunk rings 15-17; tail rings 26-29; total subdorsal rings 4.75-6.0.

Head and body: Body slender and elongate, trunk shallow; head aligned with body; snout moderately long, 52-56% head length; snout depth 71-84% snout length; posterior angles of body rings somewhat elevated and produced to spine-like points; superior trunk and tail ridges discontinuous near rear of dorsal-fin base; inferior trunk and tail ridges discontinuous; lateral trunk ridge confluent with lateral tail ridge and superior tail ridge; tail not prehensile; opercle with complete ridge angled upward towards gill opening, with prominent supplemental ridge radiating below.

Fins: Dorsal fin closer to tip of tail than to head, base of moderate length; anal fin tiny, below front half of dorsal fin; caudal fin tiny; pectoral fin present.

Colour:

Yellowish with irregular brown markings laterally on trunk and lower half of tail, sometimes with faint narrow dark stripe on side of trunk and upper surface next to superior ridge; broad dark stripe on side of snout; caudal fin usually pale above, brownish below.

Similar species:

M. perserrata is most similar to its Japanese congener M. yasudai but differes in colour, has fewer trunk rings (16-17 versus 22-23), fewer dorsal fin rays (23-27) and a deeper snout.

Fisheries:

The species is  sometimes collected for aquaria.

Conservation Status:

Australian Government Legislation: Marine listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

State Government Legislation: Listed as protected under New South Wales, Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian Fisheries Management Acts.

Remarks:

M. perserrata has been bred in aquaria and is known to live for several years. In natural habitats individuals sometimes form small aggregations and often found together on rocky ledges. M. perserrata swims close to the substrate usually resting with its tail on the bottom.

Other common names:

Saw-tooth Pipefish, Saw-toothed Pipefish.

Original citation:

Maroubra perserrata Whitley, 1948. Rec. Aust. Mus. 22(1): 74, fig. 3, Maroubra Beach, near Sydney, NSW.

Etymology:

  The generic name Maroubra, is for the type locality, Maroubra Beach in Sydney. Maroubra is an Australian vernacular name for the aboriginal route from Botany Bay to Port Jackson; marou = pathway and ora = place, country.

References:

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, figs. 391-426, In Gomon M.F., C.J.M. Glover & R.H. Kuiter (eds.) The fishes of Australia's south coast. State Print, Adelaide, 992 pp, 810 figs.

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.

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. Suppl. 63: 9-50.

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Crawford House Press, Bathurst 437 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1997. Guide to sea fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. New Holland Publishers, Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia, 434 pp.

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

Paxton, J.R. 1975. Heraldia nocturna, a new genus and species of Pipefish (family Syngnathidae) from eastern Australia, with comments on Maroubra perserrata Whitley. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 15: 439-447.

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.

Whitley, G.P. 1948. Studies in ichthyology. No. 13. Rec. Aust. Mus. 22(1): 70-94.