Robust Ghost Pipefish

Photo: Aditya Gadkari · CC BY-NC

Robust ghost pipefish are masters of camouflage, drifting head-down among seagrass and algae-covered rubble while perfectly mimicking dead leaves and vegetation with their mottled body texture. They feed by ambushing small crustaceans, hovering motionless until prey drifts within suction range of their tubular snout. Unlike most fish, it is the female that broods eggs in a pouch formed by her fused pelvic fins, making mated pairs particularly interesting to observe during nesting season.