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Family
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses)
Species Currently in the DFL
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About This Family
Distribution:
Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific
Habitat:
Marine and brackish water, with some species in freshwater.
Anatomy
Kidneys lack glomeruli.
Remarks:
The Syngnathidae family is found in shallow marine waters worldwide, and occasionally in freshwater as well. The pipefishes (~200 species) and seahorses (~25 species) are long and thin and encased in a series of bony rings. They lack pelvic fins and possess tube-like snouts, which allows them to suck in small crustaceans from a distance. Their prehensile tail is used for holding on to objects when caudal fin is absent. Some species are vibrant and colorful.
One of the most notable characteristics of the syngnathids is the way they care for the eggs and young. Each male seahorses or pipefishes has a sealed brood pouch in which the female lay her eggs in this pouch, where they incubated and hatched. Once the young can swim independently, they are set free from the pouch. If the brood pouch is missing, the female will attached the eggs to a bare spot on the male’s belly.
This family contains two subfamilies, Syngnathinae (pipefishes) and Hippocampinae (seahorses), 52 genera and about 232 species.
References: Nelson 2006; Moyle and Cech Jr. 2000