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  • head angled down
    snout short
    tail curled, with C
    Amphelikturus dendriticus, Pipehorse, Seahorse Pipefish
    A 2
    brood pouch under tail
  • 2-3 white streaks behind eye
    upper body - 3 blue spots, each before a white bar
    rings: trunk 14-16, tail 35-39
    Anarchopterus criniger, Fringed Pipefish
    pectoral 6-9
    head & body: few small, scattered simple skin flaps
  • brown stripe through eye
    brown, often barred
    many skin flaps: pair forked flaps along back, simple flaps along side & bottom ridges
    rings: trunk 17-18, tail 31-35
    Anarchopterus tectus, Insular Pipefish
    pectoral 10-12
    D 18-21
  • head 9.2% SL
    snout short, depth 59% length
    snout - dark stripe
    dark blotch behind eye
    D 21-27
    blotched & mottled
    sometimes white rings
    Bryx dunckeri, Pugnose Pipefish
    no A
  • head 11% SL
    snout medium, depth 30% length
    snout whitish above, red below
    D 22-27
    body - white spots, in vertical rows; tail - white bars
    Bryx randalli, Ocellated Pipefish
    no A
  • snout medium, white/unpigmented
    tail rings 24-31
    Cosmocampus albirostris, Whitenose Pipefish
  • body & tail short, thick
    snout v short, upturned
    crest on head
    brown + broken black lines
    tail rings 26-27
    Cosmocampus brachycephalus, Crested Pipefish
  • snout long & slender, ridges - top and side
    body slender
    body: wide-spaced narrow pale bars
    D 22-23
    A 2-4
    tail rings 29-34
    Cosmocampus elucens, Shortfin Pipefish
  • snout medium, ridges top and side
    body stout
    plain brown
    D 19-21
    A 2-4
    tail rings 31-35
    Cosmocampus hildebrandi, Dwarf Pipefish
  • body slender
    snout long, slender
    D 27
    A 2-4
    Cosmocampus profundus, Deepwater Pipefish
    red, flank + 7 dark spots
    tail rings 38-39
  • snout: short, top and side ridges well developed, top ridge - no spines
    side head: ridges well developed
    black & white rings OR yellow+white+ brown bars
    D 18-22
    A 2-4
    body ridges prominent, toothed, notched between rings
    Halicampus crinitus, Banded Pipefish
    pectoral 11-14
    lower body & tail ridges NOT joined
  • body deep
    snout short
    D 16-20
    white lines- cheek & around eye
    Hippocampus erectus, Lined Seahorse, Spotted Seahorse
    pectoral 14-18
  • body not deep
    snout long
    D 16-19, outer dark stripe
    dense dark dots
    Hippocampus reidi, Longsnout Seahorse, Slender Seahorse
    pectoral 14-17
  • snout v short
    head crown = high column, no spines
    D 10-13
    color variable
    Hippocampus zosterae, Dwarf Seahorse
    pectoral 10-13
    v small
  • snout short, central ridge spiny
    head & body ~ smooth, ~ no ridges, rings indistinct & not notched
    Micrognathus erugatus, Smooth Pipefish
    lower body & tail ridges not joined
  • snout v long, slender, with dark stripe
    D 37-54
    C 9
    Microphis lineatus, Opossum Pipefish
    operculum: several ridges
    lower body & tail ridges NOT joined
    A 4
    brood pouch under body
  • snout short, central ridge - cónical spine
    D 21-33
    C 8
    Minyichthys inusitatus, Uncommon Pipefish
    pectoral 8-13
    lower body & tail ridges NOT joined
    A 2-3
  • snout v short
    head & body: many fine dark bars
    C (10) is only fin
    Penetopteryx nanus, Worm Pipefish, Lost Pipefish
  • snout short
    D 28-44
    side body ridge joints top tail ridge
    C 10
    Pseudophallus mindii, Freshwater Pipefish
    pectoral 13-16
    lower body & tail ridges joined
    no A
    brood pouch under tail
    female: long, spiny anal papilla
  • snout long, slender
    pattern 1: pale bars above, pale spots below.
    pattern 2: irregular lines above, blue bars below
    D 25-32
    trunk rings 15-18
    Syngnathus caribbaeus, Caribbean Pipefish
    short opercular ridge
  • snout long, slender
    snout & flank: brown stripe
    D 28-31
    trunk rings 16-18
    Syngnathus dawsoni, Antillean Pipefish
    indistinct opercular ridge
  • snout long & slender
    triangular bone before eye
    flank & upper tail: rows spots - > bars
    D 26-35
    trunk rings 16-19
    Syngnathus floridae, Dusky Pipefish
    no opercular ridge
    pectoral short - base 77% length
  • snout medium
    color variable
    D 33-39
    trunk rings 18-21
    Syngnathus fuscus, Northern Pipefish
    no opercular ridge
  • snout v long & slender
    upper side: stripe above bars
    lower side: +/- dark diamonds
    D 29-42
    trunk rings 18-21
    Syngnathus louisianae, Chain Pipefish
    no opercular ridge
  • snout medium
    upper body: ~12-13 narrow bars, wider interspaces
    female: pale bars below
    D 22-27
    trunk rings 14-15
    Syngnathus makaxi, Yucatan Pipefish
    no opercular ridge
    pectoral short
  • snout long & slender
    female: pale bars under trunk & tail
    D 25-34
    trunk rings: 15-18
    Syngnathus pelagicus, Sargassum Pipefish
    no opercular ridge
  • snout medium & stout
    female: 1-3 silver bars on each lower body ring, black ventral keel, C dark + white spots
    D 25-37
    trunk rings 15-18, 5.5-9.5 under D
    Syngnathus scovelli, Gulf Pipefish
    opercular ridge - low, short
  • snout long & slender
    D 32-38
    trunk rings 22-24
    Syngnathus springeri, Bull Pipefish
    no opercular ridge
  • snout moderate
    brown snout, white blotch under eye
    body: 11-12 wide bars
    D 35-41
    trunk rings 17-19, 8.5-10 under D
    Syngnathus texanus, Texas Pipefish
    no opercular ridge