Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Subfamily Syngnathinae | |
Similar River pipefish, Pyura herdmani, Pyura dalbyi, Pyura doppelgangera, Amarinus lacustris | ||
The Longsnout pipefish, Syngnathus temminckii, is the most common pipefish in southern African estuaries, ranging from Walvis Bay (Namibia) to the Tugela River on the east coast of South Africa.
Contents
Biology
This species is common in estuaries, usually in eelgras beds, but has also been found offshore to depths of 110 m. Sexual maturity is reached at 12 cm, and breeding occurs from March to November. Males carry the developing embryos in a brood pouch on their belly.
Taxonomy
Syngnathus temminckii was until recently synonymised with the European species S. acus Linnaeus, 1758 (greater pipefish), but morphological data show that it is distinct. Genetic data further indicate that it is not even the sister taxon of S. acus, but of another southern African species, the critically endangered river pipefish S. watermeyeri.