Stigmatopora argus

Stigmatopora argus, the spotted pipefish, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family of pipefish and seahorses (Syngnathidae). The scientific name of the species is the first validly published in 1840 by Richardson.^[3][4]

Stigmatopora argus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Syngnathiformes
Family:	Syngnathidae
Genus:	Stigmatopora
Species:	S. argus
Binomial name
Stigmatopora argus (J. Richardson, 1840)
Synonyms[2]
Syngnathus argus Richardson, 1840 Stigmatophora olivacea Castelnau, 1872 Gastrotokeus gracilis Klunzinger, 1872 Stigmatophora gracilis Macleay, 1881 Stigmatophora depressiuscula Macleay, 1881

It is endemic to Australia, is usually green with obvious black spots on its dorsal surface and can grow to a length of 27 centimetres.

Stigmaptopora argus has a prehensile tail that it uses to clasp seagrass or macroalgae. It feeds on small crustaceans, including copepods and mysids.^[4]