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Girdled pipefish (Festucalex cinctus) — Syngnathidae

Girdled pipefish

Festucalex cinctus
Family: Syngnathidae
LC · Least Concern

The Girdled pipefish (Festucalex cinctus) is a saltwater fish of the family Syngnathidae that grows up to 13 cm.

Length
13 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
8.0–31.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The girdled pipefish is a small pipefish from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 13 cm and has a very slender, bony-ringed body with narrow dark cross-bands (girdles). As a bottom-dweller it stays among weeds, seagrass and rubble of shallow coastal water and sucks up small plankton with its tubular snout. Like other pipefishes the male carries the eggs until they hatch. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Girdled pipefish?

The Girdled pipefish has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Girdled pipefish live?

The Girdled pipefish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Girdled pipefish get?

The Girdled pipefish grows to a maximum of about 13 cm.

Is the Girdled pipefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Girdled pipefish is harmless to humans.

Is the Girdled pipefish edible?

The Girdled pipefish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gegordelde zeenaald verified
English name
Girdled pipefish verified
Scientific name
Festucalex cinctus
Family
Syngnathidae
Other names
Orange-cheek pipefish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
13.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
8.0 verified
Max depth (m)
31.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Festucalex

More from the family Syngnathidae

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