Schultz's Pipefish, Corythoichthys schultzi (Herald, 1953)

Scientific name: Corythoichthys schultzi
  • Updated
    28/08/19
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Schultz's Pipefish, <i>Corythoichthys schultzi</i> Click to enlarge image
Schultz's Pipefish, Corythoichthys schultzi, at a depth of 10m, 'Monique's Unique Bommie', Great Detached Reef, far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, November 2001. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Corythoichthys
    Species
    schultzi
    Family
    Syngnathidae
    Order
    Syngnathiformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The species grows to 16 cm in length.

Introduction

Schultz's Pipefish has a whitish body that is covered in small black, brown and reddish dashes. The snout is long and slender and a caudal fin is present. Male and female Schultz's Pipefish are easy to tell apart when they are breeding. During breeding males have a pouch on the belly in which they carry the developing young (see top image). Males give birth to young pipefish that resemble adults.

Identification

Schultz's Pipefish has a whitish body that is covered in small black, brown and reddish dashes. The snout is long and slender and a caudal fin is present.

Male and female Schultz's Pipefish are easy to tell apart when they are breeding. During breeding males have a pouch on the belly in which they carry the developing young (see top image). Males give birth to young pipefish that resemble adults.

Habitat

Schultz's Pipefish is usually seen on rocky and rubbly substrates close to coral reefs. It is also seen around sea fans.

The species is found at depths from 1 m to 30 m.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from the Red Sea, north to the Japan, throughout Micronesia, south to Australia and east to Tonga.

In Australia Schultz's Pipefish is known from the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

References

  1. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.