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Nerophis ophidion (Linnaeus, 1758)

Straightnose pipefish
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Nerophis ophidion   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Nerophis ophidion (Straightnose pipefish)
Nerophis ophidion
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Nerophinae
Etymology: Nerophis: Greek, neros, nearos = youhtfull appearance + Greek,ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range 2 - 15 m (Ref. 6733). Temperate; 63°N - 30°N, 11°W - 42°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Norway to Morocco (excluding region from Denmark to Netherlands), also throughout the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 29.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2058); 30.0 cm TL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Anal, caudal and pectoral fins absent (Ref. 59043). Anal opening below front end of the dorsal fin, 28-33 body rings. Has a strait snout (Ref. 35388).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit algal zone or eel-grass (Zostera) (Ref. 6733). Adults spawn in May - August . Feed on small crustaceans and fish fry (Ref. 35388). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205). Consistent paternity is ensured despite brooding of embryos on the outside the male's body. Events of cuckoldry by sneaker males is ruled out through genetic paternity analyses based on molecular markers (Ref. 81011). Each male carries eggs from a single female but females may deposit eggs on several brooding pouches (Ref. 81011).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Consistent paternity is ensured despite brooding of embryos on the outside of the male's body instead of a brood pouch characteristic of the family (Ref. 81011, 53335). Events of cuckoldry by sneaker males is ruled out through genetic paternity analyses based on molecular markers (Ref. 81011). Each male carries eggs from a single female but females may deposit eggs on several brooding pouches (Ref. 81011).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Dawson, C.E., 1986. Syngnathidae. p. 628-639. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Volume 2. Unesco, Paris. (Ref. 6733)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 27 July 2014

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 8.6 - 19.3, mean 13.5 °C (based on 981 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.6250   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00085 (0.00032 - 0.00224), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.5   ±0.47 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 1.0 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1 growth studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=1.05).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (17 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 52.9 [11.4, 164.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.518 [0.203, 1.620] mg/100g; Protein = 3.53 [0.00, 7.33] %; Omega3 = 0.457 [0.196, 1.168] g/100g; Selenium = 7.88 [1.15, 24.21] μg/100g; VitaminA = 8.87 [2.82, 27.81] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.772 [0.368, 1.485] mg/100g (wet weight);