The Yellow-Banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus pessuliferus) is a small marine (saltwater) fish in the Syngnathidae family of seahorses, pipefish, and seadragons.
The Yellow-Banded Pipefish looks like a thin, straight seahorse or a small sea snake. It is a long, tube-like, cyclindrical fish with a small mouth. It has alternating reddish-brown and yellow bands along its body. Its snout (nose) is a long tube ending in a narrow mouth which opens upwards and is toothless. It has a dorsal (back) fin, which is always moving because it helps the Pipefish to swim. It has small gill openings, called slits, which enable it to breathe underwater. It has a paddle-shaped tail.
It grows to about 35 centimetres (14 inches) in length.
It is found in coastal tropical and temperate coral reefs in the Coral Triangle, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia. It likes to swim in seagrass.
The Yellow-Banded Pipefish feeds on small prawns.
The female lays the eggs, but the male looks after them and the young. The male has a brood pouch that holds the eggs. The young swim and feed immediately after they hatch.
Location of photographs: Aquarium de Paris-Cinéaqua, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM