Long-snouted pipefish

The long-snouted pipefish (Stigmatopora macropterygia) is a pipefish of the family Syngnathidae

Long-snouted pipefish
Stigmatopora macropterygia seen in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Syngnathiformes
Family:	Syngnathidae
Genus:	Stigmatopora
Species:	S. macropterygia
Binomial name
Stigmatopora macropterygia A. H. A. Duméril, 1870
Synonyms[2]
Stigmatopora longirostris Hutton, 1872

Physical description

Its length is up to 45 centimetres (18 in) and is eel-like in appearance

Breeding

The male is ovoviviparous and carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail. Males probably brood when about 24-25 cm in length.

Distribution

It is found around New Zealand including the Auckland Islands, generally at depths of less than 7.5 m.^[2][3] It can be found in intertidal algal beds, and also on wharves and pilings.^[4]

Conservation status

In 2016 its status in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species was listed as Least Concern.^[5]

See also

• Longsnout pipefish, Leptonotus norae