Skip to content

Booth's Pipefish Halicampus boothae Whitley 1964
[CAAB 37 282107]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

This very elongate pipefish lives amongst rich algal growth in coral and rocky reef habitats.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Known from tropical and temperate waters in the Western Pacific - from Japan, Australia, the Coral Sea, Chesterfield Islands, Fiji and Tonga; inhabits coral reef and algal-rich rocky reef habitats in 3-30 m. 

Size:

To 175 mm

Food and feeding:

Unknown, likely to feed on small crustaceans.

Reproduction and early life history:

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (give birth to live young) with eggs brooded by males in semi-exposed pouch under the trunk; males may begin brooding at 94 mm SL.

Eggs: Brood size is likely to be around 120 eggs.

Larvae: Morphologically similar to adults at birth.

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 18-24; A 3-4; P 10-12; Trunk rings 13-14; Tail rings 37-42.

Head and body: Body elongate; head length 11.9-16.9 in SL; short snout, length 3.0-3.8 in HL; median dorsal snout ridge continuous, arcuate, the margin often minutely spinulose; side of snout without spines or ridges in subadults-adults; opercular ridge vestigial or obsolete. Superior trunk and tail ridges discontinuous; principle body ridges distinct; inferior trunk ridge ending at anal ring; dermal flaps usually present on eye, sometimes present elsewhere on head and body.

Fins: Pectoral fin base not clearly protruding laterad, usually without distinct ridges.

Colour:

Colour varies from light tan to dark brown; tip of snout usually pale; evenly spaced pale bars on dorsum and upper part of side; often with indications of dark bars on ventral surface of each trunk ring.

Similar species:

H. boothae is similar to H. dunckeri but reaches a larger size (175 mm SL versus 115 mm SL) and has a higher number of tail rings (37-42 versus 31-36).

Fisheries:

None.

Conservation Status:

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

State Government Legislation: Listed as protected under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act.

Remarks:

Individuals from Lord Howe Island have higher counts for some characters than specimens from other areas (39-42 versus 37-40 tail rings and 22-24 versus 18-20 dorsal fin rays).

Other common names:

None.

Original citation:

Micrognathus boothae Whitley 1964, Rec. Aust. Mus. 26(5): 162, Lord Howe Island.

Etymology:

Halicampus is from the Greek, als, alis meaning salt and the Greek, kampe meaning bend. The specific name boothae is for marine naturalist Julie Booth.

References:

Coleman, N. 1980. Australian Sea Fishes - South of 30^oS. Doubleday Australia, Lane Cove, NSW.

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

Francis, M.P. & J.E. Randall. 1993. Further additions to the fish faunas of Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, southwest Pacific oceans. Pacific Science 47(2): 118-135.

Fricke, R. 2004. Review of the pipefishes and seahorses (Teleostei: Syngnathidae) of New Caledonia, with descriptions of five new species. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie). 66S: 1-66.

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.

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. English edition. Tokai University Press. Vol 1, 866 pp.

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

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.

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the south Pacific. University of Hawai‘i Press Honolulu. 707 pp.

Youn, C.-H. 2002. Fishes of Korea, with pictorial key and systematic list. 747 pp.

Whitley G.P. 1964. Fishes from the Coral Sea and the Swain Reefs. Rec. Aust. Mus. 26(5): 145-195.