Minyichthys
| Minyichthys | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Minyichthys Herald & J. E. Randall, 1972 |
Minyichthys is a circum-tropical genus of pipefishes consisting of species from the Indo-Pacific and Eastern and Western Atlantic regions. The genus is characterized as having a maximum standard length of approximately 60mm, with 2-3 anal fin rays. Minyichthys species can be differentiated from members of the closely related genus Micrognathus by their higher frequency of total subdorsal rings (7-11 as opposed to 3-7).[1]
Like many other pipefishes, male members of the Minyichthys genus carry their young in a brood pouch underneath the tail. These small, secretive fishes live in shallow algae or reef habitats, and in tidal pools and sheltered reef flats. Some species are known to venture into deeper waters.[2]
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[3]
- Minyichthys brachyrhinus (Herald, 1953) - Indo-Pacific
- Minyichthys inusitatus C. E. Dawson, 1983 - Atlantic [4]
- Minyichthys myersi (Herald & J. E. Randall, 1972) (Myer's pipefish) - West Pacific to western Indian Ocean
- Minyichthys sentus C. E. Dawson, 1982 - East Atlantic
References
- ↑ Dawson, C. E. 1982. Descriptions of Cosmocampus retropinnis sp. n., Minyichthys sentus sp. n. and Ampheliktrus sp. (Pisces, Syngnathidae) from the Eastern Atlantic region. Zoologica scripta 11(2):135-140.
- ↑ Kuiter, R. H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and Their Relatives: A Comprehensive Guide to Syngnathiformes. TMC Publishing, Chorleywood, UK.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2012). Species of Minyichthys in FishBase. October 2012 version.
- ↑ Dawson, C. E. 1983. Western Atlantic occurrence of the genus Minyichthys (Pisces: Syngnathidae), with description of M. inusitatus n. sp. Copeia 1983(3):774-776.