General Description
Body very long and slender with a tiny mouth at the end of the long snout and an almost prehensile (capable of grasping) tail that lacks a tail fin. Highly variable in colour, from greenish to brownish depending to match the surroundings. Females often have an orange line along the side. This species closely resembles the Spotted Pipefish, Stigmatopora argus, but differs in coloration, the placement of the dorsal fin, and female body shape. Up to 16 cm.
Biology
During the breeding season, females develop a swollen trunk and males have a small pouch on the underside of the tail. Individuals are extremely well-camouflaged and closely resemble the seagrass Zostera.
Distribution
New Zealand and southern Australia.
Habitat
Sheltered seagrass and macroalgal beds, from intertidal depths to 35 m.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Very long slender-bodied fish with no tail fin and a tiny mouth at the end of a very long snout. Usually greenish to brown without spots.
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Maximum Size
16 cm
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Habitats
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Diet
Carnivore
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Diet Categories
Zooplankton, Invertebrates, Crustaceans
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, Fisheries Act 1995: Protected Aquatic Biota, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m)
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Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
Kaup, 1856
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Common Name
Widebody Pipefish
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Superclass
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
nigra
