Orange-Spotted Pipefish

Pipefish, classified in the family Syngnathidae, are close relatives of seahorses. Like seahorses, they have a tube-like digestive system which requires them to eat almost constantly. Pipefish have only a single dorsal fin for movement and are very slow swimmers. They rely on camouflage and shelter for protection. For this reason, they are hard to spot on a dive. Male pipefish, like other members of their family, carry eggs in a brood pouch (this time located under their tails) until the eggs hatch and the young can be born. The Orange-spotted pipefish in this photo, Corythoichthys ocellatus, can be disctinguished from other pipefish by the tiny orange spots which cover its body and help it to camouflage with the reef. Scuba divers can find Orange-spotted Pipefish in shallow waters in the Western Pacific, where they grow to about 6 inches in length.