ghost pipefish

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ghost pipefish

fish

Also known as: Solenostomus

Written by Elanor Bell, Amanda Vincent•All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

ghost pipefish, (genus Solenostomus), any of a group of small, rare marine fishes characterized by long snouts and enlarged fins that belong to the family Solenostomidae (order Gasterosteiformes). Ghost pipefishes inhabit the Indian and western Pacific oceans and reach lengths of 7.5 to 17 cm (about 3 to 7 inches).

They are closely related to pipefishes and sea horses of the family Syngnathidae; however, they differ from syngnathids in both structure and behaviour. Instead of armoured rings, ghost pipefishes are covered with large bony plates. Whereas male pipefishes and male sea horses carry the fertilized eggs, female ghost pipefishes hold the eggs in a brood pouch formed by the fusion of her pelvic fins.

Elanor Bell Amanda Vincent