Tracey I Howley, Australia
Info
Maroubra perserrata Whitley, 1948
Maroubra perserrata, also known as the sawtooth pipefish, is a marine fish species in the pipefish family (Syngnathidae).
The pipefish genus Maroubra contains only two described species, one of which, Maroubra perserrata, is endemic to Australia, and the other, Maroubra yasudai, is endemic to Japan.
Description Maroubra perserrata: Body long and slender; body ridges raised and spiny. Gray to brownish or yellowish with a light stripe from the mouth to the base of the tail; head with a brown stripe on the side; body often with two thin brownish-red lines on the side. Up to 8 cm long.
This nocturnal species lives during the day in crevices, caves, and under rock ledges at depths of 0-25 m, often in small groups. It is a small, difficult to spot species.
Like other pipefish, the male has a brood pouch just below the tail fin in which it carries the eggs. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with the males incubating the eggs for about 22 days before giving birth to live young.
Although the pipefish can be found in many different habitats, it is often found in openings in reefs and rocks that contain algae and invertebrates, which probably serve as camouflage.
Maroubra perserrata is considered more mobile than many other pipefish species due to its prehensile tail and reduced tail fin.
Maroubra perserrata is endemic to southern Australia, from northern New South Wales to southwestern Western Australia, including Tasmania.
Maroubra perserrata, also known as the sawtooth pipefish, is a marine fish species in the pipefish family (Syngnathidae).
The pipefish genus Maroubra contains only two described species, one of which, Maroubra perserrata, is endemic to Australia, and the other, Maroubra yasudai, is endemic to Japan.
Description Maroubra perserrata: Body long and slender; body ridges raised and spiny. Gray to brownish or yellowish with a light stripe from the mouth to the base of the tail; head with a brown stripe on the side; body often with two thin brownish-red lines on the side. Up to 8 cm long.
This nocturnal species lives during the day in crevices, caves, and under rock ledges at depths of 0-25 m, often in small groups. It is a small, difficult to spot species.
Like other pipefish, the male has a brood pouch just below the tail fin in which it carries the eggs. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with the males incubating the eggs for about 22 days before giving birth to live young.
Although the pipefish can be found in many different habitats, it is often found in openings in reefs and rocks that contain algae and invertebrates, which probably serve as camouflage.
Maroubra perserrata is considered more mobile than many other pipefish species due to its prehensile tail and reduced tail fin.
Maroubra perserrata is endemic to southern Australia, from northern New South Wales to southwestern Western Australia, including Tasmania.
