Kingdom Animalia Family Syngnathidae Phylum Chordata Order Gasterosteiformes | Class Actinopterygii Genus Microphis Rank Subspecies | |
Scientific name Microphis brachyurus lineatus Similar Microphis, Deep‑bodied pipefish, Sargassum pipefish, Pseudophallus, Cosmocampus | ||
Microphis brachyurus lineatus (opossum pipefish) is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. Species of Concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Contents
Species Description
Opossum pipefish are a widespread species that spawn in low salinity areas of estuaries. The color of the opossum pipefish is distinctive, especially in breeding adults: the upper snout and back half of the head and body is sienna brown with a series of dark red blotches on each lateral trunk ring forming a red stripe between the lateral and superior trunk ridges; there is a silver stripe on the mid-side between the lateral and inferior trunk ridges, a silver edge on the inferior trunk ridge; the lower half of the snout is bright red with a variable number of black vertical bars, and the caudal fin is also red with a central dark stripe.
Ecology
Nothing is known about annual variation in population size, but the decline in habitat quality (described below) has likely led to a drastic decrease in population size.
Conservation
The major threats to the opossum pipefish are habitat destruction, water control structures, declining water quality, and an increase in disease. These factors have been documented within the primary ecosystems occupied by opossum pipefish.
Conservation Designations
IUCN [1]: Not Evaluated
U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service: Species of Concern
American Fisheries Society: Threatened
Species of Greatest Conservation Need:FL, LA, and TX.
Status Reviews
None