''Festucalex cinctus'' (girdled pipefish or orange-cheek pipefish) is a species of marine fish of the
pipefish
Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and ''Phyllopteryx''), form the family Syngnathidae.
Description
Pipefish look like straight-bodied seah ...
family
Syngnathidae
The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and ''Phyllopteryx''). The name is derived from grc, σύν (), meaning "together", and (), meaning "jaw". The fused jaw is one of the tra ...
which is endemic to the waters off eastern Australia.
Identifying features
This species can be recognized by its broad head, slender snout, and leafy appendages on its
dorsal
Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to:
* Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism
* Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage
* Dorsal co ...
ridges. Its colour varies from dark grey to orange-brown with pale bars along the back and an orange blotch on the lower gill cover,
with occasional sightings of pale or black individuals.
[Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.] It can grow to lengths of .
[
]
Distribution and habitat
''Festucalex cinctus'' is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to Australia,Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
and New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.[Dawson, C.E., 1985. Indo-Pacific pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Ocean Springs, Mississippi, USA] It is a secretive species which lives in sheltered coastal bays and estuaries, on patches of coral rubble, sand or in areas where there is a sparse growth of seagrass, algae and sponges,[ at depths of . ''F. cinctus'' has been recorded in small numbers in the open water near to pilings of piers in harbours.][
]
Biology
''Festucalex cinctus'' is demersal
The demersal zone is the part of the sea or ocean (or deep lake) consisting of the part of the water column near to (and significantly affected by) the seabed and the benthos. The demersal zone is just above the benthic zone and forms a layer of ...
crustaceans
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...
, similar to other pipefish.[ This species is ]ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...
, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young.[ The males bear the fertilised eggs in a semi-enclosed pouch on the ventral side of the trunk, this pouch has distinct protective plates and its folds barely meet on the midline when it is full of eggs.][
]
Conservation
''Festucalex cinctus'' is a species of marine animal listed under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...
and which is protected under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act. Specimens from the tropical part of its distribution, in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, appear to be different from specimens in New South Wales and may represent a different species.[
]
References
Further reading
Fishes of AustraliaGovernment of Australia Department of the Environment and Energy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2325102
cinctus
Marine fish
Fish described in 1882