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Tubemouth (Siphonognathus argyrophanes) — Odacidae

Tubemouth

Siphonognathus argyrophanes
Family: Odacidae

The Tubemouth (Siphonognathus argyrophanes) is a saltwater fish of the family Odacidae that grows up to 40 cm.

Length
40 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–40.0 m
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The tubemouth is an elongate wrasse (Labridae) from coastal waters of southern Australia. The species grows to about 40 cm and has an extraordinarily thin, snake-like, silvery to greenish body with a long, tubular snout. As a dweller of seagrass and weed beds it hovers upright among the blades, strongly camouflaged, and picks small zooplankton and crustaceans. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Tubemouth?

The Tubemouth has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly green.

Where does the Tubemouth live?

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

How big does the Tubemouth get?

The Tubemouth grows to a maximum of about 40 cm.

Is the Tubemouth dangerous to humans?

No, the Tubemouth is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Buismond-lipvis sourced
English name
Tubemouth sourced
Scientific name
Siphonognathus argyrophanes
Family
Odacidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
40.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Green sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
40.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

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 verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Odacidae

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