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Pacific Shortbody Pipefish Choeroichthys brachysoma Bleeker 1855
[CAAB 37 282042]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

This small, secretive pipefish shelters amongst seagrass and on shallow reefs.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Widespread in the tropical Indo-west Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa across the Indian Ocean to Australia, north to Japan and eastwards to Tonga. Found in Australian waters from south-western Australia to Moreton Bay (Qld), including in the territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands. It lives in tide pool, seagrass and coral reef areas in 2-25 m.

Size:

Attains 70 mm TL

Food and feeding:

This species has distinct odontid processes, or tooth-like structures, on its jaws which may facilitate grazing.

Reproduction and early life history:

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young). The mlaes brood the eggs in an enclosed pouch on the underside of the trunk. Males may be brooding at a length of 35-40 mm.

Eggs: Eggs usually arranged in a single layer of two parallel rows in the pouch.

Larvae: Undescribed but are likely to be pelagic and morphologically similar to the adults at birth.

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 18-26; P 18-23; A 4; C 10; Trunk rings 14-18; Tail rings 17-20; subdorsal rings 5.5-2.5 + 0.00-1.75 = 3.75-6.0.

Head and body: Lateral and median dorsal snout ridges present; margins of head and body ridges smooth to finely serrate; trunk and tail ridges deeply notched or slightly indented between rings; scutella not keeled; knob-like projections absent on rear margins of trunk rings. HL 4.1-5.9 in SL; snout length 1.8-2.4 in HL; snout depth 3.8-5.8 in snout length.

Colour:

Body overall dark brown with some pale speckling. A dark lateral stripe is usually present on the snout and opercle. Females usually have a row of dark spots above and below the lateral trunk ridge. Males usually have an incomplete row of spots above the lateral trunk ridge and a complete row below.

Similar species:

The Pacific Shortbody Pipefish is most similar to Choeroichthys suillus which has higher ring counts than C. brachysoma (trunk rings 18-19 versus 14-18 and total rings 37-39 versus 31-36).

Fisheries:

None

Conservation Status:

Australian Government Legislation: Choeroichthys brachysoma is a listed Marine species under under s248 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999 Marine Species).

Remarks:

Pipefishes and  seahorses (Family Syngnathidae) usually feed by picking and sucking up prey items by a rapid intake of water through the long snout. Several pipefish species, however, including the Pacific Shortbody Pipefish, have toothlike (odontoid) processes on their jaws suggesting that they may feed by grazing.

Other common names:

Pacific Short-bodied Pipefish, Shortbodied Pipefish, Short-bodied Pipefish

Original citation:

Syngnathus brachysoma Bleeker 1855, Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. 8: 327, Batu Archipelago, Indonesia.

Etymology:

The generic name Choeroichthys is from the Greek choiros (pig) and ichthys (fish). The specific name brachysoma is from the Greek brachys (short) and soma (body, flesh) in reference to the relatively short body of this species.

References:

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine fishes of tropical Australia and south-east Asia. Western Australian Museum, Perth. 292 pp.

Allen, G.R. & M. Adrim. 2003. Coral reef fishes of Indonesia. Zool. Stud. 42(1): 1-72.

Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1988. Fishes of Christmas Island Indian Ocean. Christmas Island Natural History Association, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, 6798, Australia. 197 pp.

Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The marine fishes of north-western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Western Australian Museum, Perth. 201 pp.

Bleeker, P. 1855. Bijdrage tot de kennis der ichthyologische fauna van de Batoe Eilanden. Nar. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. 8: 305-328.

Dawson, C.E. 1976. Review of the Indo-Pacific Pipefish genus Choeroichthys (Pisces: Syngnathidae), with descriptions of two new species. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 89(3): 39-66

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

Dawson, C.E. & R.A. Fritzsche. 1975. Odontid processes in pipefish jaws. Nature 257: 390.

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2008). Choeroichthys brachysoma in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Available from: http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat. Accessed 2008-04-12@10:48:19.

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. TMC Publishing, Chorleywood, UK. 240 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. & T. Tonozuka. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 1. Eels- Snappers, Muraenidae - Lutjanidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 302 pp.

Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 pp.

Nakabo, T. 2002. (ed.) Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species. English edition. Tokai University Press. vol. 1, 866 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. http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/marine-fish-action/index.html

Senou, H. & A. Ono. 1998. Two rare syngnathid, Choeroichthys brachysoma and Cosmocampus banneri, from the Ryukyu Islands. I. O. P. Diving News 9(1): 4-7. [In Japanese, English abstract]