THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

Weedy Seadragon
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Syngnathidae)
Seahorses, Pipefishes, and Seadragons
Distribution: Endemic to waters off southern
Australia.
Habitat: Kelp-covered rocky reefs.
Description: Orange-yellow to brownishyellow,
small pale dots on body with stripes,
often brilliant blue, on neck. Leafy projections,
purple with black edges, in varying numbers,
along the body. Long, tubular snout. Dorsal fin
near the tail, two tiny pectoral fins on neck.
Diet: Mysid shrimp and other small
crustaceans, fish larvae. Like all syngnathids,
seadragons lack teeth and a true stomach and
to compensate must hunt and feed almost
continually.
Reproduction and Development: Prior to
mating the area of the male’s tail where he
will keep the eggs becomes slightly swollen,
soft and spongy. The female actually pushes
the eggs onto this area of the male’s tail where
they are fertilized. He carries the eggs for about
2 months. The young are born with a yolk sac
still attached that sustains them for about two
days, until their snout grows enough to feed.
Conservation Status: Threatened by habitat
destruction, protected by federal and local
legislation.
Remarks: The appendages of weedy seadragons
are not as elaborate as those of leafy seadragons;
however, their camouflage is also effective as
they look like pieces of sea weed floating in
the water.
Weedy and leafy seadragons share the same
range and habitat and have the same conservation
status. Both swim horizontally and
reproduce and develop in the same way.
All syngnathids lack teeth; instead, they suck
in their prey, similar to drinking through a
straw.
Alligator Pipefish
Syngnathoides biaculeatus (Syngnathidae)
Pipefishes, Seahorses, and Seadragons
Distribution: Red Sea; South Africa to Samoa,
north to southern Japan, south to eastern
Australia.
Habitat: Protected coastal shallows over
or among algae, seagrasses, or floating
California Academy of Sciences
127
weeds. Juveniles occasionally found near the
surface.
Appearance: Slender body; variably colored
green to brown or grey, reportedly depending
on habitat. Bony plates on skin form a series of
protective rings. Distinct tubular snout. Shape
and color provide excellent camouflage.
Diet: Minute invertebrates and fish larvae.
Reproduction and Development: Ovoviviparous.
The male carries the eggs in a brood
pouch and protectively located under his
prehensile tail.
Mortality/Longevity: Utilized in the traditional
and legal Chinese drug trade to extract
Hailong, apparently an important ingredient
within the traditional Chinese pharmaceutical
cornucopia.
Conservation Status: IUCN: “Data Deficient.”
Remarks: The conservation status above,
courtesy the IUCN, is based on data collected
more than 14 years ago. Like other pipefishes
and seahorses, their situation probably
continues to decline.
Bay Pipefish
Syngnathus leptorhynchus (Syngnathidae)
Pipefishes, Seahorses, and Seadragons
Distribution: Alaska to Baja California.
Habitat: Eel grass in bays and estuaries,
including San Francisco and Monterey Bays.
Appearance: Slender elongated form
resembling a tube that ends in a toothless
mouth. Instead of scales, their bodies are
covered with bony plates that form ridges. The
female is larger than the male and may be 33
cm. long. The male’s brood pouch is located
beneath the tail.
Diet: Small invertebrates, especially crustaceans.
Reproduction and Development: Elaborate
mating rituals occur between May and August
culminating in the female depositing eggs in
the male’s brood pouch. Up to 225 eggs have
been found in a pouch, in different stages of
development indicating multiple deposits
possibly by different females. Incubation period
is 8–21 days depending on temperature. Young
resemble small adults when they emerge. They
must hide to avoid being eaten by the adults.
Mortality/Longevity: Known to be taken by
striped bass.