Species: Halicampus crinitus, Banded pipefish, Insular pipefish
side head: ridges well developed
D 17-32
A 2-4
Halicampus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842)
Banded pipefish, Insular pipefish
Snout short, a well developed ridge that lacks spines all along center; other head ridges (sides of head, top of nape) well developed; ridge along operculum angles up and back; dorsal fin 17-32 rays, anal fin 2-4; pectoral fin rays 12-14; no pelvic fins; tail fin typically 10; upper body and tail ridges interrupted near rear of dorsal fin; lower trunk ridge ends near anus; side trunk ridge joins lower tail ridge; trunk rings 17-18, total rings 49-52; body rings with rounded ends, difficult to distinguish, with numerous small skin flaps; ridges of head, body and tail prominent; body ridges notched between body rings, edges finely toothed; body with scattered small, simple skin flaps; brood pouch under tail rings 10-17, pouch plates not very enlarged, pouch semi-open.
Two distinct color forms: crinitus form – varies from nearly white with a few scattered brown flecks and black dots at regular intervals along the body ridges, to nearly black below and pale above, to mottled brown with 10 or more diffuse irregular dark or white bars, to nearly uniform dark with white dots at regular intervals along body ridges; ensenadae form – bold broad yellow to white and dark purplish-brown bars on head and body.
Reaches 15 cm.
Rock, coral and coarse sand habitats; also seagrass.
Depth range: 0.5-22 m.
Bermuda to Brazil.
Note: The two color forms of this species occur throughout its range, and, in Brazil at least they intergrade. Crinitus, the oldest name, was described in 1842 from Brazil, and ensenadae in 1915 from the Caribbean. Whether the Brazilian and Caribbean populations represent different species has not been established.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Sand & gravel
- Corals
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Live birth
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- Also in Brazil
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Not evaluated / Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 15
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 22
