Asian Freshwater River Pipefish

Microphis is a genus of pipefishes (stream pipefishes or river pipefishes) within the family Syngnathidae. Members of this genus are notable among the Syngnathidae for residing in mainly fresh and brackish waters.^[1] Adults breed in coastal rivers, streams, or lakes, and fertilized eggs are carried by the male pipefish in a brood pouch extending along his entire ventral surface.^[2]

Species

Closeup of the head and mouth of Microphis brachyurus

The currently recognized species in this genus are:^[3]

• Microphis aculeatus (Kaup, 1856)
• Microphis argulus (W. K. H. Peters, 1855) (flat-nosed pipepfish)
• Microphis brachyurus (Bleeker, 1854) (short-tailed pipefish)
• Microphis brevidorsalis (de Beaufort, 1913) (stream pipefish)
• Microphis caudocarinatus (M. C. W. Weber, 1907) (slender pipefish, Tawarin river pipefish)
• Microphis cruentus C. E. Dawson & Fourmanoir, 1981 (Dumbéa River pipefish)
• Microphis cuncalus (F. Hamilton, 1822) (crocodile-tooth pipefish)
• Microphis deocata (F. Hamilton, 1822) (green, rainbow belly, or deocata pipefish)
• Microphis dunckeri (Prashad & Mukerji, 1929)
• Microphis fluviatilis (W. K. H. Peters, 1852) (freshwater pipefish)
• Microphis insularis (Hora, 1925) (Andaman pipefish)
• Microphis jagorii W. K. H. Peters, 1868
• Microphis leiaspis (Bleeker, 1854) (barhead pipefish)
• Microphis lineatus (Kaup, 1856) (opossum pipefish)
• Microphis manadensis (Bleeker, 1856) (Manado pipefish)
• Microphis mento (Bleeker, 1856) (red pipefish)^[4]
• Microphis millepunctatus (Kaup, 1856) (thousand-spot pipefish)
• Microphis ocellatus (Duncker, 1910) (ocellated pipefish)
• Microphis pleurostictus W. K. H. Peters, 1868
• Microphis retzii (Bleeker, 1856) (ragged-tail pipefish)
• Microphis spinachioides (Duncker, 1915) (spinach pipefish)

References