Dykning med Spøgelsesrørfisk

Koh Lantas Marineliv | Solenostomidae

Ghost pipefish tilhører en lille gruppe af tropiske fisk, en slægtning til søhesten, og man kan se den flere steder, når man dykker på Koh Lanta.

Med en langstrakt krop og et langt, rørformet hoved, der er en tredjedel af deres størrelse. De er i stand til at bevæge deres øjne hver for sig, så de effektivt kan scanne deres omgivelser. De flyder lodret med hovedet nedad og suger små hvirvelløse byttedyr op fra underlaget ved hjælp af deres karakteristiske rørformede mund.

De har ikke skæl som almindelige fisk, i stedet er de omgivet af en række små benplader. Deres halefinne er lukket, og de har to vidt adskilte rygfinner. Spøgelsesrørfisk er en monogam art. Hunnerne ledsages normalt af en mindre han, og hun har en forstørret, modificeret bækkenfinne, som danner en pose, hvor hun kan ruge på over 300 befrugtede æg.

2 arter fundet på denne side:

Ornate (Harlequin) Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus)
Robust Ghost Pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus)

Ornate (Harlequin) Ghost Pipefish

(Solenostomus paradoxus)

The ornate ghost pipefish or harlequin ghost pipefish is a very 'spikey', well camouflaged fish with many filaments on the body and jagged, deeply incised fins. This fish is actually quite common, but difficult to find. Once found however, it is very easy to identify due to its unique features.

Solenostomus paradoxus @ Koh Haa

These fish vary in colour from black to bright red and yellow. Their body can also be nearly transparent and they can grow up to 12cm.

Ornate Ghost Pipefish @ Koh Haa

The ornate ghost pipefish is usually found alone or in pairs and can often be found hiding close to the branches of gorgonian sea fans, or hiding in gaps between corals and rocks.

Robust Ghost Pipefish

(Solenostomus cyanopterus)

Solenostomus cyanopterus @ Koh Haa

The robust ghost pipefish can reach up to 17 cm and is the largest of the ghost pipefishes. Also known as the robust-snouted ghost pipefish or the squaretail ghost-pipefish, the body colour varies considerably, from red, yellow, brown, green and grey.

Robust ghost pipefish are uncommon and quite difficult fish to spot; they usually look like some drifting seagrass or bits of dead leaves. They float near motionless, with their mouths facing downwards, against a background that makes them nearly impossible to see.

This fish feeds on tiny crustaceans, sucked inside through their long tubular snouts.

Robust ghost pipefish live in open waters except during breeding periods, when they find a coral reef or muddy bottom, changing color and shape to minimize visibility.