At least 28 species of pipefish have been recorded in South Australian waters. Due largely to these bony fishes’ cryptic nature, reported sightings for many species are few. Much remains to be learned about their range, distribution, abundance, biology and ecology. If you see a pipefish in South Australian waters, we encourage you to log your sighting on the Atlas of Living Australia. Pages for each species are linked via the common names listed below.
The list below was compiled by MLSSA member Dan Monceaux, based on records from the ALA (as at April 2015) with additional information (depth ranges and sizes) from Seahorses and their relatives by Rudie H. Kuiter (Aquatic Photographics, 2009).
| Genus | Species | Common name | Described | Max length (mm) | Min depth (m) | Max depth (m) |
| Campichthys | galei | Gale’s pipefish | 1909, Duncker | 60 | 18 | |
| Campichthys | tyroni | Tyron’s pipefish | 1890, Ogilby | 75 | ||
| Filicampus | tigris | Tiger pipefish | 1879, Castelnau | 300 | 30 | |
| Heraldia | nocturna | Upside down pipefish | 1975, Paxton | 80 | 20 | |
| Histiogamphelus | briggsi | Brigg’s crested pipefish | 1914, McCulloch | 250 | ||
| Histiogamphelus | cristatus | Rhino pipefish | 1882, Macleay | 250 | ||
| Hypselognathus | horridus | Prickly pipefish | 1982, Dawson & Glover | 280 | 40 | 55 |
| Hypselognathus | rostratus | Knife-snout pipefish | 1921, Waite & Hale | 400 | ||
| Kaupus | costatus | Deep-bodied pipefish | 1921, Waite & Hale | 140 | ||
| Kimblaeus | bassensis | Trawl pipefish | 1980, Dawson | 200 | 10 | 75 |
| Leptoichthys | fistularis | Brushtail pipefish | 1853, Kaup | 650 | ||
| Lissocampus | caudalis | Australian smooth pipefish | 1921, Waite & Hale | 100 | ||
| Lissocampus | runa | Javelin pipefish | 1931, Whitley | 100 | 6 | 10 |
| Maroubra | perserrata | Saw-tooth pipefish | 1948, Whitley | 85 | ||
| Mitotichthys | semistriatus | Half-banded pipefish | 1856, Kaup | 250 | 3 | |
| Mitotichthys | tuckeri | Tucker’s pipefish | 1942, Scott | 170 | 9 | 20 |
| Notiocampus | ruber | Red pipefish | 1886, Ramsay & Ogilby | 170 | 5 | 20 |
| Pugnaso | curtirostris | Pugnose pipefish | 1872, Castelnau | 150 | 10 | |
| Stigmatopora | argus | Spotted pipefish | 1840, Richardson | 280 | ||
| Stigmatopora | narinosa | Southern gulf pipefish | 2007, Browne & Smith | 220 | ||
| Stigmatopora | nigra | Wide-bodied pipefish | 1856, Kaup | 280 | Over 20 | |
| Stipecampus | cristatus | Ring-back pipefish | 1918, McCulloch & Waite | 250 | ||
| Syngnathoides | biaculeatus | Alligator pipefish | 1785, Bloch | 280 | ||
| Urocampus | carinirostris | Hairy pipefish | 1872, Castelnau | 100 | 5 | |
| Vanacampus | margaritifer | Mother-of-pearl pipefish | 1869, Peters | 200 | 10 | |
| Vanacampus | phillippi | Port Phillip pipefish | 1891, Lucas | 200 | 25 | |
| Vanacampus | poecilolaemus | Australian long-snout pipefish | 1869, Peters | 280 | ||
| Vanacampus | vercoi | Verco’s pipefish | 1921, Waite & Hale | 110 |
Hi
We were at Pt Hughes a couple of days ago and wonder if you can help us to identify which pipe fish we have seen? Approx 30cm long and 2cm diameter with regularly spaced luminescent green ovals and long stripes of a turquoise blue down the length of its body. The head and snout were a darker luminescent purple- blue.
I’ll check out your pipefish ID when I return from Queensland, Meredith
Hi Meredith, Sorry that I’m a year late now. My attention has just been drawn back to your enquiry from last year. I was away when I responded last year and it seems that your enquiry got overlooked on my return. Only a Knife-snout pipefish, Hypselognathus rostratus seems to fit your description.
I sort of agree with your Knifesnout suggestion. But based upon the stated length (which is an estimate) and perhaps more importantly the great variation of colours and patterns that many local species can display depending on the habitat and ambient light, time of day and year, depth etc, I think several other species are also possibles. Only a photo would allow a reasonable confidence level as to what it really was.
Some possible options (if we allow some leeway wrt estimated length) are:-
Vanacampus species such as Longsnout and Mother of Pearl
Filicampus tigris (Tiger Pipefish)
Even Crested Pipies can have surprisingly colourful patterns similar to those described above.
Perhaps even Brushtail Pipefish can sometimes adopt similar patterns and colours although I may be stretching it a bit too much saying that (?!)
Finally I am reluctant to fully exclude a more colourful than average Gulf Pipefish Stigmatopora narinosa, because they are very common at Port Hughes, and can get quite big. The type/voucher specimens from which this species was described came from Port Hughes, as I recall.
Having said that, I should add another distinct possibility: Spotted Pipefish Stigmatopora argus.
I’ve seen large adults that come close to your description.
If readers are interested to learn more about the pipefishes in South Australia, the 2015 publication by Conservation Council of SA contains some relevant information. . Here is the link to the PDF: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/conservationsa/pages/710/attachments/original/1469602028/Seadragons___their_Friends_compressed_online_FINAL.pdf?1469602028 The booklet includes distribution, habitat and biological information for most of the pipefishes in SA, except two rarely recorded species from the SE which are not likely to be seen by divers, and one which is a probable misidentification and cannot be verified.