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Ghost Pipefish
With such an unbelievable array of appendages and body shapes, including sexual dimorphism to contend with, it has taken fish experts many years to eventually separate out the various species of Ghost Pipefish.
Most of the uncertainty has come about due to the incredible ability shown by Ghost Pipefishes to mimic colour and even the forms of some of their mimic models.
Ghost pipefish are known to mimic or use the following marine life as camouflage to avoid detection: Feather Stars, live Seagrass, dead Seagrass, Black Coral, Soft Coral, Sea Whips, Gorgonians, Algae and Sponges. Individuals of some forms such as the hairy form of the Halimeda Ghost Pipefish are thought to settle out of the plankton as a larval form and select a host or model which they then inhabit. As they grow they take on the colour and characteristics of their model, in this case purple, or rusty coloured blue-green algae.
Reproduction
Unlike Seahorses and Pipefish and Leafy and Weedy Sea Dragons it is the female Ghost Pipefish which incubates the eggs in a brood pouch (formed from modified ventral fins) and gives birth.
Females are much larger than males growing up to 110mm while males may only reach 60mm. There are some thoughts that males may be able to alter their sex to females should the right circumstances occur. However, this requires verification in the field as observations were made in aquaria.
A pair of Robust Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus cyanopterus, female, and the smaller male cruise over the sandy substrate at Bali Indonesia.(Photo Neville Coleman)
At only 25 to 30 mm in size, a male Halimeda Ghostpipefish Solenostomus halimeda is extremely difficult to see when close to the substrate. (Milne Bay PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
This female Halimeda Ghostpipefish Solenostomus halimeda has mimicked the sponge growing on its host Halimeda algae. (Milne Bay PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
A pregnant female Ornate Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus has abandoned her Feather Star host and is moving along, close to the bottom looking for a suitable place of residence.(Loloata Isl. PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
This male Halimeda Ghostpipefish Solenostomus halimeda has mimicked its host Halimeda algae. (Milne Bay PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
This female Halimeda Ghostpipefish Solenostomus halimeda has mimicked the substrate it lives amongst. (Milne Bay PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
This Robust Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus cyanopterus has selected to mimic dead seagrass, even to the point of lying flat on the bottom and taking on a pattern of coralline algae normally found on its model. (loloata Isl. PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
The Ornate Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus has a number of variable colour forms ranging from red and yellows to black with gold markings, depending on its original host. This one was found in soft coral at 10 metres.(Loloata Isl., PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
A small male Ornate Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus can be seen actually fertilizing the eggs of a responding female with a wide-open pouch, while a rival maale watches on. (Milne Bay PNG) (Photo Jorina van der Westhuizen)
Masters of mimickry, these two Ornate Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus have taken on the exact colouation of their host Feather Star. (Milne Bay PNG) (Jorina van der Westhuizen)
A female Ornate Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus without eggs shelters beneath a ledge. (Loloata isl. PNG) (Photo Neville Coleman)
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A female Ornate Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus paradoxus with eggs shelters beneath a ledge. (Loloata isl. PNG) (Photo Neville Coleman)
A fantastic colour and perfect match for its blue-green algae host/model, a male Halimeda Ghostpipefish Solenostomus halimeda was only half the size of its mate. (Milne Bay PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)
Until recently, the hairy ghost pipefish form was thought to be a new species. Here a female Halimeda Ghost Pipefish Solenostomus halimeda peeks out from beneath a ledge.(Milne Bay PNG)
(Photo Neville Coleman)