Robust Ghostpipefish

Photo: rossnewb · © all rights reserved

Ghostpipefish appear at Bar Reef between November and April, hovering head-down among feathery crinoid arms and Halimeda algae clumps in their extraordinarily effective cryptic posture. Mating pairs are regularly found together, and the female's brooding pouch — modified pelvic fins fused along the edges — distinguishes her from the slimmer male when the pair hangs motionless side by side. Their presence here reflects the reef's high structural complexity and the site's freedom from the heavy sediment disturbance that eliminates ghostpipefish from less well-managed sites.