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Ladder pipefish (Festucalex scalaris) — Syngnathidae

Ladder pipefish

Festucalex scalaris
Family: Syngnathidae

The Ladder pipefish (Festucalex scalaris) is a saltwater fish of the family Syngnathidae that grows up to 18 cm.

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

Description

The ladder pipefish is a pipefish (Syngnathidae) from shallow reef and seagrass water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 12 cm and has a thin, bony-ringed, brown-greenish body with a ladder-like pattern of narrow bands and a tubular snout. Strongly camouflaged, it lives among 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 Ladder pipefish?

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

Where does the Ladder pipefish live?

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

How big does the Ladder pipefish get?

The Ladder pipefish grows to a maximum of about 18 cm.

Is the Ladder pipefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Ladder pipefish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Ladder-zeenaald sourced
English name
Ladder pipefish sourced
Scientific name
Festucalex scalaris
Family
Syngnathidae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
18.0 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
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. 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 Festucalex

More from the family Syngnathidae

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