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Lord Howe pipefish (Cosmocampus howensis) — Syngnathidae

Lord Howe pipefish

Cosmocampus howensis
Family: Syngnathidae

The Lord Howe pipefish (Cosmocampus howensis) is a saltwater fish of the family Syngnathidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
9.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Algae or seagrass meadow
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Lord Howe pipefish is a pipefish (Syngnathidae) from shallow reef and seagrass water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 10 cm and has a thin, bony-ringed, brown-greenish body with skin appendages and a tubular snout. Strongly camouflaged, it lives among coral rubble, weed and seagrass and sucks in small zooplankton. The male carries the eggs. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Lord Howe pipefish?

The Lord Howe pipefish has a snake-like body and is mainly green.

Where does the Lord Howe pipefish live?

The Lord Howe pipefish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around algae or seagrass beds.

How big does the Lord Howe pipefish get?

The Lord Howe pipefish grows to a maximum of about 10 cm.

Is the Lord Howe pipefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Lord Howe pipefish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Lord Howe-zeenaald sourced
English name
Lord Howe pipefish sourced
Scientific name
Cosmocampus howensis
Family
Syngnathidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
9.5 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Green sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Beak-shaped sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Algae or seagrass meadow sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Cosmocampus

More from the family Syngnathidae

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