''Choeroichthys latispinosus'', also known as the Muiron Island pipefish or Muiron pipefish, is a species of

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 s ...

native to the western coast of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, named for its recorded sighting on South Murion Island. It is thought to inhabit the area from Port Denison to Brecknock Island in the eastern

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia Queensland * Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas South Australia * County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia Ta ...

region. Described by

Charles Dawson Charles Dawson (11 July 1864 – 10 August 1916) was a British amateur archaeologist who claimed to have made a number of archaeological and palaeontological discoveries that were later exposed as frauds. These forgeries included the Piltdown ...

based on a single specimen in 1978, the species is still known from only three localities and very few specimens.

Description

The

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

, a female, measures SL. Ground colour is dark brown; there are pale white blotches and mottling.

Dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

is narrowly edged with black or brown. The snout has a protruding, spinous lateral ridge, to which its

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''latispinosus'' refers: it is derived from the Latin ''latus'' (side) and ''spinosus'' (thorny). The

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

has 22 rays, the

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

has 20, the

anal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported o ...

4 and the

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

has 10. There are 19 trunk rings and 20 tail rings. It grows to a length of in

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...

Distribution

''C. latispinosus'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

to the coastal waters of

from Port Denison to Brecknock Island in the east

Reproduction

Along with other members of its genus, males of this species brood the young in a simple pouch beneath their trunk or midsection. Females transfer eggs to the male, and he broods them until they hatch and then gives birth to live young.

Habitat and diet

The species inhabits coastal coral reefs, and is thought to feed on small planktonic crustaceans such as copepods and isopods, as is exhibited by other more well-known syngnathid fishes.

Conservation

''Choeroichthys latispinosus'' is listed as Data Deficient on the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological spe ...

. The major threat to this species is the loss and degradation of its coral reef habitat. Further research is required in order to understand the species full range, ecology, abundance, and trend in population size. It is a listed marine species under Australia's

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 cult ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2752601 latispinosus Ningaloo Coast Marine fish of Western Australia Fish described in 1978 Taxa named by Charles Eric Dawson