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Blue spotted pipefish (Hippichthys cyanospilos) — Syngnathidae

Blue spotted pipefish

Hippichthys cyanospilos
Family: Syngnathidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue spotted pipefish (Hippichthys cyanospilos) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Syngnathidae that grows up to 16 cm.

Length
16 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The bluespotted pipefish is a pipefish (Syngnathidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species has a thin, elongate body armoured with bony rings, a tube-shaped snout and fine bluish spots on the flank. It lives in estuaries, the lower reaches of coastal rivers and mangroves and tolerates brackish water. With its snout it sucks up small zooplankton. The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue spotted pipefish?

The Blue spotted pipefish has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Blue spotted pipefish live?

The Blue spotted pipefish lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Blue spotted pipefish get?

The Blue spotted pipefish grows to a maximum of about 16 cm.

Is the Blue spotted pipefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue spotted pipefish is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue spotted pipefish edible?

The Blue spotted pipefish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwstip-zeenaald sourced
English name
Blue spotted pipefish verified
Scientific name
Hippichthys cyanospilos
Family
Syngnathidae
Other names
Bluespeckled pipefish; Blue-speckled pipefish; Blue-spotted pipefish verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. 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 Hippichthys

More from the family Syngnathidae

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