Pipefish or Pipehorse

Hi,

a few weeks ago in Lembeh I made several pictures from this extremely small species - length app. 3cm.

I'm quite insecure if it's a pipehorse or a pipefish.

I found a picture which looks quite similar and it's identified as a Short Pouch Pygmy Pipehorse, look here.

But I found another one which is identified as a Minute Pipefish, klick, (you have to scroll the page a little bit).

Can anybody give me some hint?

Thanks

Wahrmut

a few weeks ago in Lembeh I made several pictures from this extremely small species - length app. 3cm.

 

I'm quite insecure if it's a pipehorse or a pipefish.

I found a picture which looks quite similar and it's identified as a Short Pouch Pygmy Pipehorse, look here.

But I found another one which is identified as a Minute Pipefish, klick, (you have to scroll the page a little bit).

 

Can anybody give me some hint?

That is tough ... i was going to guess pipefish at first .. but looking at the pictures makes it impossible for a mere guesser like me to even guess !

Ok, hope there's somebody else who has an idea what it is.

i would say its the pygmy pipehorse

Sure looks like the A. Breviperular (or something that resembles that spelling! )

They lumped a couple of species together and the accepted name is now Acentronura tentaculata. Shortpouch pygmy pipehorse. Another pic under the old name here.

They lumped a couple of species together and the accepted name is now Acentronura tentaculata. Shortpouch pygmy pipehorse.

Ok, very interesting!

Than this one

should be an Acentronura tentaculata as well?

Found it on the Philippines 2007.

Fishbase doesn't show the yellow one - confusing...

Another pic under the old name here.

Yes, I already postes this link in my first question.

Thanks!

Greetings

Wahrmut

Me again!

I was searching the web one more time but unfortunately there seem to be almost no pics from the yellow version.

What about Apterygocampus epinnulatus/ Minute Pipefish?

On this site (5th row) it looks very similar to my picture and it's only 3cm long - which was about the size that I remember.

Confusing...

Cheers

The other possibility is Acentronura gracilissima.

http://divedeep.sakura.ne.jp/l/l9903.htm

Yours seems to have the red "hairs" that Teresa's photo of the Minute pipefish does not. Colour changes in many species depending on their surroundings. I just photographed a similar one that was entirely black, but it was attached to a black twig on a black sand bottom.

Just a thought. I don't think it's a shortpouch. The snout seems too long....pipefish are really tough to id.

Marli

If you follow Rudie Kuiter's new book "Seahorses and their relatives - 2009) the species would be Acentronura brevperula. A. tentaculata is considered to be endemic to the Red Sea whilst A gracillissima is recorded from Japan. I've seen A.brevperula throughout the Indo Pacific and it is very variable in colour.

Acentronura breviperula is now accepted to be Acentronura tentaculata, according to marinespecies.org and fishbase.org

Thanks Dave. Do you know who grouped the Brevperula and Tentaculata together and when? I just checked FishBase and it does seem they bunched them together.

Thanks Dave. Do you know who grouped the Brevperula and Tentaculata together and when? I just checked FishBase and it does seem they bunched them together.

Not sure why they were merged together as A. tentaculata as I can't find a reference for it. There was probably a reason for a species merge on Fishbase however its odd that Kuiter doesn't reflect it in his new book which is the most comprehensive guide to syngnathids, Rudie obviously has his own reason for keeping them seperate. Genetic analysis would provide the most diffinitive answer!

Ok, very interesting!

Than this one

should be an Acentronura tentaculata as well?

Found it on the Philippines 2007.

Fishbase doesn't show the yellow one - confusing...

Where in Philippines were you diving? What month of the year???

Where in Philippines were you diving? What month of the year???

I took that picture on the Philippines/Negros 2007.

Where in Philippines were you diving? What month of the year???

Sorry, forgot to post that it was April 2007.