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Flagtail Pipefish

Doryrhamphus negrosensis

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth1–7 m
  • Water temperature24–30 °C
  • Best monthsAugust and October
  • How commonRare
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Photo credit: (c) Silke Baron, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

Doryrhamphus negrosensis, commonly known as Negros pipefish, flagtail pipefish, Masthead Island pipefish or Queensland flagtail pipefish, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean, from Borneo to Vanuatu and the Yaeyama Islands to the Rowley Shoals and the Great Barrier Reef. It lives in mud flats and reefs, both coral and rocky, where it is often associated with sea urchins. It is a rather solitary species which may be found in pairs or small groups. It inhabits depths to 9 metres (30 ft), and can grow to lengths of 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in). Although little is known of its feeding habits, it is expected to feed on harpacticoid copepods, gammarid shrimps, and mysids, similar to other pipefish, it may also act as a cleaner fish like other species in the genus Doryrhamphus. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs before giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 4.3 cm. It is a small bluish to bluish-grey pipefish which has a pale stripe along the dorsal side of the head and snout, and a dark fan-like caudal fin which has white margins and an orange base.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Doryrhamphus negrosensis”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 1 records
  • February: 2 records
  • March: 0 records
  • April: 1 records
  • May: 1 records
  • June: 5 records
  • July: 3 records
  • August: 10 records
  • September: 4 records
  • October: 16 records
  • November: 5 records
  • December: 7 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 1–7 m · Deepest record: 11 m

  • 0–10 m: 29 records
  • 10–20 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C

  • 22–24 °C: 1 records
  • 24–26 °C: 26 records
  • 26–28 °C: 3 records
  • 28–30 °C: 33 records

Names and classification

English
Flagtail Pipefish, Masthead Island Pipe-fish, Masthead Island Pipefish, Negros Pipefish, Queensland Flagtail Pipefish
Names in 2 more languages
Japanese
Sesuji-yôji, セスジヨウジ
Simplified Chinese
双棘矛吻海龙, 雙棘矛吻海龍

Other scientific names: Pristidoryrhamphus jacksoni

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 73 open-data records from 1931 to 2008.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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