| Samoan pipefish | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Halicampus |
| Species: | H. mataafae |
| Binomial name | |
| Halicampus mataafae Jordan & Seale, 1906 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Corythoichthys mataafae Jordan & Seale, 1906 | |
The Samoan pipefish, or brown pipefish (Halicampus mataafae), is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, to Sodwana Bay, to Taiwan, the Marshall Islands, and Samoa, where it inhabits tidepools and coral and rocky reefs to depths of 15 metres (49 ft). It is a solitary species with cryptic habits and is rarely observed. It is likely to feed on small crustaceans, and can grow to lengths of 14 centimetres (5.5 in). This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying the fertilised eggs in a brood pouch, the folds of which fall well short of the centre of the egg-filled pouch, eventually giving birth to live young.
Etymology
The specific name honours Mataafa, a former king of Samoa. It is a listed marine species under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Identification
H. mataafae can be identified by its reddish-brown colouring and small pale spots on its trunk and tail.
References
- ^ Kuo, T. & Pollom, R. (2017) . "Halicampus mataafae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T65367712A115423121. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T65367712A67619440.en.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Halicampus mataafae". FishBase. February 2018 version.
- ^ Myers, R.F. (1991). Micronesian Reef Fishes: A Practical Guide to the Identification on the Coral Reef Fishes of the Tropical Central and Western Pacific Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. p. 298. ISBN 978-0962156434.
- ^ Thompson, Vanessa J.; Dianne J. Bray. "Halicampus mataafae". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 10 Jan 2018.
- Jordan, D. S. & A. Seale (1906). "The fishes of Samoa. Description of the species found in the archipelago, with a provisional check-list of the fishes of Oceania". Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries. 25 (for 1905): 173–455.
Further
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Halicampus mataafae | |
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