''Stigmatopora harastii'', the red wide-bodied pipefish, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family of

pipefish Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and ''Phyllopteryx''), form the family Syngnathidae. Description Pipefish look like straight-bodied seah ...

and

seahorse A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or " ...

s (Syngnathidae). CC-BY icon

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Etymology

This

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

is named after

David Harasti David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, one of the first to recognize ''S. harastii'' as being a new species, for recognition of his efforts towards conservation of

Syngnathidae The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and ''Phyllopteryx''). The name is derived from grc, σύν (), meaning "together", and (), meaning "jaw". The fused jaw is one of the tra ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and for being an aficionado extraordinaire of his beloved genus ''

Stigmatopora ''Stigmatopora'' is a genus of pipefishes native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Species There are currently five recognized species in this genus: * '' Stigmatopora argus'' ( J. Richardson, 1840) (spotted pipefish) * '' Stigmatopora harastii' ...

''. Harasti's pipefish and red wide-bodied pipefish were proposed as the common names for ''S. harastii''.

Description

''Stigmatopora harastii'' has a median ridge that is distinct, low and present on dorsum of head and first trunk ring starting from the posterior third of the frontal, over the supraoccipital, to the anterior and posterior nuchal plates. Its opercular ridge is prominent, complete, not angled dorsal. Its lateromedial ridge, distinct, low, present between opercle and pectoral fin base. Its dorsal-fin origin on 6th–7th trunk rings, subdorsal rings 19–20 (12 trunk rings + 7 or 8 tail rings); lateral trunk ridge ends on first tail ring. It has a red background colour on the dorsum of snout with large, irregular pale white spots. The sides of head and anterior trunk rings with large, irregular pale white spots or with diffuse pale white stripe. The venter of first trunk ring with distinct red elongated spots in longitudinal row, almost forming a stripe, on midline present in male. The venter of anterior trunk rings pale red with a large cluster of distinct red spots extending posteriad from second trunk ring in male, few scattered small red spots in females.

Distribution and habitat

''Stigmatopora harastii'' is currently known to occur in central NSW,

from only three localities, including

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...

Shellharbour Shellharbour (also known as Shellharbour Village) is a suburb located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It also gives its name to the local government area, City of Shellharbour, and its central business district, Shellhar ...

, and Jervis BBa. ''Stigmatopora harastii'' inhabits semi-exposed bay entrances and ocean embayments in which the underwater terrain is characterised by sandy areas interspersed with boulders and hard flat reefs. Individuals and pairs of S. harastii were observed in close association with a species of finger sponge appearing to a member of the family

Callyspongiidae Callyspongiidae is a family of sea sponges in the order Haplosclerida. It contains the following genera and species: * '' Arenosclera'' Pulitzer-Finali, 1982 ** '' Arenosclera amazonensis'' Leal, Moraes, Thompson & Hajdu, 2017 ** '' Arenosclera ...

and several different species of red algae appearing to be of the family

Gracilariaceae The Gracilariaceae is a small family of red algae containing several genera of agarophytes. It has a world-wide distribution. 24 species are found in China, and 6 species are found in Great Britain and Ireland. It is found in Australia and Chile ...

in the genera Crassiphycus and

Gracilaria ''Gracilaria'' is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q102078240 Syngnathidae Taxa named by Graham Short Taxa named by Andrew Trevor-Jones Fish described in 2020