Micrognathus pygmaeus, Thorntailed pipefish

Micrognathus pygmaeus Fritzsche, 1981

Thorntailed pipefish
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Micrognathus pygmaeus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Micrognathus pygmaeus (Thorntailed pipefish)
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drawing shows typical species in Syngnathidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathinae
Etymology: Micrognathus: Greek, mikros = small + greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 12 m (Ref. 30874). Tropical; 16°N - 23°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Pacific Ocean: Moluccas to Society Islands, north to Marshall Islands; south to New Caledonia; Palau, Mariana Islands, and Marshall Islands in Micronesia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30874)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 21; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 3. SL to 55 mm; R 15-16(15)+28-31: SL 2.6-3.3.
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits lagoon and seaward reefs from tide pools to a depth of at least 8 m (Ref. 1602). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Male carries the eggs in a brood pouch (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann, 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research. (Ref. 90102)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
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Anatomy
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Physiology
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Nutrients
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
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References
References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index
(Ref. 82804) 		PD50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight a=0.00035 (0.00015 - 0.00078), b=3.19 (3.00 - 3.38), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level
(Ref. 69278) 		3.2   ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		Low vulnerability (10 of 100). 🛈
Nutrients
(Ref. 124155) 		Calcium = 317 [151, 882] mg/100g; Iron = 1.77 [0.76, 3.40] mg/100g; Protein = 17.8 [16.3, 19.3] %; Omega3 = 0.114 [0.045, 0.309] g/100g; Selenium = 44.5 [14.1, 133.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 52.1 [11.3, 231.8] μg/100g; Zinc = 3.46 [1.87, 5.70] mg/100g (wet weight);