Ornate ghost pipefish

Ornate ghost pipefish
Ornate ghost pipefish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Solenostomidae
Genus: Solenostomus
Species: S. paradoxus
Binomial name
Solenostomus paradoxus
(Pallas), 1770

The ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish, Solenostomus paradoxus, is a pipefish of the family Solenostomidae found in the Western Pacific and the Indian ocean along reef edges prone to strong currents. They reach a maximum length of 12 cm. They vary in color from red, yellow to black and are almost transparent. They feed mostly on mysids and benthic shrimp. Females carry the eggs in their pelvic fins that are modified to form a brood pouch

Ghostly appearance giving the fish its name.
Different color variation.
A pair observed in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

References