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Brushtail Pipefish Leptoichthys fistularius Kaup 1853
[CAAB 37 282013]

Distribution Map see an interactive map here (new window)

The Brushtail Pipefish is the only species in the genus Leptoichthys and is one of Australia's largest inshore pipefish species.

Distribution, ecology and habitat:

Endemic to temperate waters of southern Australia; inhabits inshore sheltered shallow seagrass beds, mainly amongst the seagrass Zostera in which it is well camouflaged, but also in Posidonia beds.

Size:

Reaches at least 650 mm.

Characteristics:

Meristics: D 33-41; A 5; P 20-23; C 11; Trunk rings 22-28; Tail rings 18-24; Subdorsal rings 3.5-2.00 + 5.00-6.75 = 7.75-9.25.

Head and body: Body very slender, elongate, trunk shallow; head aligned with body; snout long, laterally compressed, snout length 71-77% HL, snout depth 4-7% snout length; longitudinal opercular ridge usually crossing anterior half of opercle in young, absent in adults; superior trunk and tail ridges discontinuous near rear of dorsal-fin base; inferior trunk and tail ridges continuous; lateral trunk ridge not confluent with tail ridges; tail not prehensile; adult females with median longitudinal fleshy finfold under tail.

Fins: Dorsal fin much closer to tip of tail than to head, base of moderate length; anal fin very small, below centre of dorsal fin; caudal fin very long, more or less lanceolate.

Colour:

Mainly greenish brown, head and dorsum of trunk darkest and marked with orange-brown wavy lines; caudal fin brownish shading to near-black distally.

Similar species:

Leptoichthys is the only known pipefish in which adults of either sex have a median ventral finfold on the tail.

Fisheries:

None.

Conservation Status:

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

State Government Legislation: All species of the Syngnathidae are listed as protected under New South Wales, Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian Fisheries Management Acts.

Remarks:

Juveniles often swim in small groups.

Other common names:

Brushtailed Pipefish, Brush-tailed Pipefish.

Original citation:

Leptoichthys fistularius Kaup 1853, Arch. Naturg. 19(1): 233, King George Sound, Western Australia (as Port du Roi George).

Etymology:

Leptoichthys is from the Greek leptos meaning thin and ichthys for fish. The species is named fistularius as head shape resembles that of the flutemouths in the family Fistulariidae.

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

Hoese DF, Bray DJ, Paxton JR & Allen GR (2006). Fishes. In Beesley PL & Wells A (eds) Zoological catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia : 2178 pp.

Kuiter R.H. (1993) Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Crawford House Press, Bathurst 437pp [87]

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

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.