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Reeftop Pipefish Corythoichthys haematopterus Bleeker 1851
[CAAB 37 282048]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

The Reeftop Pipefish lives in shallow water on coral reefs. Adults are usually seen in pairs and mating partners form a strong life-long attachment to each other.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Tropical Indo-west Pacific, from East Africa to Vanuatu, southern Japan, northern Australia; inhabits protected rubble and sandy areas in shallow reef lagoons, reef flats and fore-reef slopes at 1-21 m, mostly above 5 metres.

Size:

Reaches 180 mm TL

Food and feeding:

Feeds mainly on swarming planktonic copepods, but also on cumaceans, amphipods, isopods, tanaids, barnacle larvae and ostracods.

Reproduction and early life history:

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young). Pairs maintain strong bonds and mate monogamously while both partners are alive. Mating partners greet each other each morning and this ritual is thought to maintain the monogamous bond.

The eggs are brooded by the males in a pouch under the tail. The pouch protects the dorsal surface and side of the egg mass, leaving the ventral surface exposed. Males begin brooding at 94 mm TL and carry eggs for 9-19 days until the eggs hatch. Several broods are reared each season with non-brooding intervals of only 1 or 2 days.

Eggs: Eggs are deposited in 2-17 transverse rows within a gelatinous matrix; females give one male their entire clutch as a single sheet of eggs.

Larvae: Pelagic; morphologically similar to the adults; ridges spiny in planktonic juveniles.

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 23-33; P 13-18; Trunk rings 16-18; Tail rings 32-37.

Head and body: Head length in SL 6.3-9.4, snout length in HL 1.9-2.4, snout depth in snout length 3.8-8.0; prenuchal and nuchal ridges smooth; median snout ridge usually with slight dorsal emargination; eye prominent; ridges smooth to finely granular in subadults and adults

Fins: Dorsal fin origin at or before the anterior margin of the first tail ring; dorsal fin base in HL 1.1-1.7.

Colour:

Colour pattern is variable; body pale with dark blotches consisting of reticulate black lines/bars crossing the dorsal surface and side of body; bars diminishing or lacking on distal third of the tail; snout with dark spots; head with a dark stripes; caudal fin mainly pink.

Similar species:

C. haematopterus is most similar to C. polynotatus with overlapping ring and fin ray counts, but some differences are found in sympatric populations that have been studied. These species can most readily be separated by their colour patterns. C. haematopterus is also similar to C. intestinalis but modally has 17 trunk rings compared to 16. Most C. haematopterus specimens lack the prominent dark markings on the posterior tail rings that are present in C. intestinalis, while markings on the venter of anterior trunk rings are usually darker and most prominent in C. haematopterus.

Fisheries:

Sometimes collected for the aquarium trade.

Conservation Status:

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

Other common names:

Reef-top Pipefish, Yellowstreaked Pipefish.

Original citation:

Syngnathus haematopterus Bleeker 1851, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Indië 2: 258, Banda Neira, Banda Islands, Indonesia.

Etymology:

Corythoichthys is from the Greek, korys, korythos for helmet and ichtys meaning fish.

References:

Bleeker, P. 1851. Bijdrage tot de kennis der ichthyologische fauna van de Banda-eilanden. Nat. Tijds. Ned. Indië 2: 225-261.

Dawson, C.E. 1977. Review of the Pipefish genus Corythoichthys with description of three new species. Copeia 1977(2): 295-338

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

Kimura, S., K. Matsuura (eds.) 2003. Fishes of Bitung, northern tip of Sulawesi, Indonesia. 2003: 244 pp.

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

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

Matsumoto, K. & Y. Yanagisawa. 2001. Monogamy and sex role reversal in the pipefish Corythoichthys haematopterus. Animal Behaviour 61(1): 163-170.

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

Michael, S.W. 1998. Reef Fishes Volume 1. A Guide to Their Identification, Behaviour and Captive Care. Microcosm Ltd. Shellbourne, Vermont 624 pp.

Paulus, T. 1999. Family Syngnathidae pp 2264-2276 In: Capenter K.E. & V.H. Niem (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide For Fisheries Purposes. FAO. Vol. 4: 2069-2790.

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

Sogabe, A. & Y.Yanagisawa. 2007. The function of daily greetings in a monogamous pipefish Corythoichthys haematopterus. J. Fish Biol. 71(2): 585-595.

Whiteman, E.A. & I.M. Côté. 2004. Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79: 351-375.