Ornate Ghost Pipefish

Photo: terence zahner · CC BY-NC

Ghost pipefish appear seasonally at Secret Garden, typically arriving in October as water temperatures drop slightly after the southwest monsoon. Pairs hover head-down among crinoids and black coral branches, their elaborate filamentous fins disrupting their outline so completely that they are frequently missed even on guided dives. Females carry fertilised eggs in a brood pouch formed by their fused pelvic fins, and mated pairs remain together for weeks at a single crinoid holdfast.