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Rough-ridge Pipefish Cosmocampus banneri Herald & Randall 1972
[CAAB 37 282053]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

This small species lives on coral rubble reefs throughout the Indo-West Pacific.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Widespread throughout the tropical Indo-west-central Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa  to Fiji, Tonga, north to southern Japan and the Marshall Islands; inhabits rubble reefs at 2-30 m.

Size:

Reaches 75 mm TL

Food and feeding:

Likely to feed on copepods, small isopods and ostracods.

Reproduction and early life history:

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (give birth to live young) with eggs brooded by males in pouch under the tail that protects the dorsal surface and side of the egg mass, but the ventral surface is exposed; males may begin brooding at 23.5 mm TL.

Eggs: Eggs deposited in 2-17 transverse rows within a gelatinous matrix.

Larvae: Morphologically similar to adults.

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 16-20; A 3-4; P 11-14; C 10; Trunk rings 15; Tail rings 27-30.

Head and body: Head length 7.1-8.3 in SL, snout short, length 2.2-2.7 in HL;   snout spine present; median dorsal snout ridge with 2-4 subtriangular dorsal projections; dermal flaps present on eye and elsewhere on head; superior trunk and tail ridges discontinuous; lateral trunk ridge straight, ends near anal ring.

Colour:

Colour: Pale usually with some dusky bars on belly and lower trunk behind head; usually with indications of brown bars on ventral surface of the pectoral ring and lower half of side and ventral surface of other trunk rings.

Fisheries:

None.

Conservation Status:

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

Remarks:

Cosmocampus banneri may comprise a cryptic complex of similar species grouped together on the basis of similarities.

Other common names:

Banner's Pipefish, Roughridge Pipefish.

Original citation:

Syngnathus banneri Herald & Randall 1972, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 39(11): 135, fig 4,  about 1/2 mile off harbor of Ishigaki city, Ishigaki Island, Ryukyu Islands, depth 20-35 feet.

Etymology:

Cosmocampus is from the Greek, kosmos (order, organization) and kampe (bent, curvature). Named after Dr. A. H. Banner who collected the holotype.

References:

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

Allen, G.R. & W.F. Smith-Vaniz. 1994. Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Res. Bull. 412: 21 pp.

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

Dawson, C.E. 1986. Family No. 145: Syngnathidae (pp. 445-458). In: Smith, M.M. & P.C. Heemstra (eds). Smiths' Sea Fishes. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg. 1047 pp, 144 pls.

Dawson, C.E. & J.E. Randall. 1975. Notes on Indo-Pacific Pipefishes (Pisces: Syngnathidae) with description of two new species. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 88(25): 263-280.

Herald E.S. & J.E. Randall. 1972. Five new Indo-Pacific pipefishes. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 39(11): 121-140, figs. 1-6.

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.

Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian reef fishes. A comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. 3rd revised ed. Coral Graphics, Guam. 330 pp., 192 pls.

Nakabo, T. 2002. (ed.) Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species. Tokai University Press. Fish. Japan Pict. Keys Species 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, Canberra Environment Australia 375 pp.

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