''Solenostomus'', also known as the ghost pipefishes, false pipefishes or tubemouth fishes, is a genus of fishes in the order Syngnathiformes. ''Solenostomus'' is the only genus in the family Solenostomidae, and includes six currently recognized species.Family Solenostomida

FishBase. Accessed 1 February 2015. Ghost pipefishes are related to pipefishes and seahorses. They are found in tropical waters of the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

. The animals, none of which are longer than , float near motionlessly, with the mouth facing downwards, around a background that makes them nearly impossible to see. They feed on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long snout. They live in open waters except during breeding, when they find a coral reef or muddy bottom, changing color and shape to minimize visibility. In many respects, they are similar to the pipefishes, but can be distinguished by the presence of

pelvic fin Pelvic fins or ventral fins are paired fins located on the ventral surface of fish. The paired pelvic fins are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods. Structure and function Structure In actinopterygians, the pelvic fin consists of two en ...

s, a prominent, spiny, dorsal fin, and star-shaped plates on the skin. Unlike true pipefish, female ghostpipefishes use their enlarged pelvic fins to brood their eggs until they hatch. left, Ornate ghostpipefish, ''Solenostomus paradoxus''.

Species

* '' Solenostomus armatus'' M. C. W. Weber, 1913 (long-tailed ghost pipefish or armored pipefish) * '' Solenostomus cyanopterus''

Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Solenostomus halimeda'' J. W. Orr, Fritzsche & J. E. Randall, 2002 (Halimeda ghost pipefish) * ''

Solenostomus leptosoma ''Solenostomus leptosoma'', the delicate ghost pipefish is a species of false pipefish from the family Solenostomidae. It is an Indo-Pacific species which occurs from the Mascarene Islands east to Japan, Indonesia and Australia. It is mainly found ...

'' S. Tanaka (I), 1908 (delicate ghost pipefish) * ''

Solenostomus paegnius ''Solenostomus paegnius'', the roughsnout ghost pipefish is a species of ghost pipefish from the family Solenostomidae. It is an Indo-Pacific species which occurs from the Red Sea east to Japan and Australia. It occurs over algal/rubble reefs and ...

'' Jordan & Thompson, 1914 (roughsnout ghost pipefish) * ''

Solenostomus paradoxus The ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish, ''Solenostomus paradoxus'', is a false pipefish of the family (biology), family Solenostomidae. The species name comes from the Greek ''paradoxos'', referring to this fish's unusual external ...

'' ( Pallas, 1770) (ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish)

References

* * Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten. ''Amazing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit''. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004. Page 116-117. *Orr, JW and Fritzsche, RA. 1993. Revision of the Ghost Pipefishes, Family Solenostomidae (Teleostei: Syngnathoidei). Copeia 1993:168-182.

External links

Photos of the 5 different species of GhostpipefishesVideo of different species of Ghostpipefishes
{{Taxonbar, from=Q264195 Marine fish genera Extant Eocene first appearances Taxa named by Bernard Germain de Lacépède