The order of pipefishes and seahorses, also known as Synganthiformes (derived from the Greek ‘syn‘ meaning with, and ‘gnathos‘ meaning jaw), have narrow elongated bodies with tiny mouths lacking teeth, located at the end of a tubular snout and oriented slightly upward. The upper jaw is not protractile and the lower jaw is protractile. The pelvic fins, in those species that have them, are located in an abdominal position.
Generally slow moving, they obtain their impulse through very fast undulations (30-35 vibrations per second) of their pectoral or dorsal fins. This conditions the shape and type of food it consumes. Among their prey, there will be prey of small size and generally slower than they are. As for the way they capture them, they perform a jaw movement that generates a suction that allows them to ingest the prey.
Mostly marine, there are several groups of species within this order of species that live among marine algae, swimming with their bodies vertically aligned, in order to camouflage themselves among the algae, they are known as pipefishes. Other species, the seahorses, have prehensile tails that allow them to cling to algae and rocks on the bottom where they live.
Pipefishes and seahorses are largely unique in their reproduction. The female approaches the male and through a nuptial embrace that usually lasts between 30 and 50 seconds, transfers the eggs to a membrane located on the male’s abdomen. From this moment on, the male will take care of his offspring, which usually hatch 10 days after the eggs are laid. The newly hatched fry are very small in size (15 mm), but quickly develop to sexual maturity in just 90-100 days from birth. They generally live for 2 to 3 years. The size of this order of fish is between 25 and 30 cm.
There are 338 known species of pipefishes and seahorses, grouped into 8 families (Pegasidae, Solenostomidae, Syngnathidae, Aulostomidae, Fistulariidae, Macroramphosidae, Centriscidae and Dactylopteridae) and 69 genera.