Dr. Glen Whisson, Aqua Research and Monitoring Services, Australien
Info
Choeroichthys latispinosus Dawson, 1978
The Muiron pipefish inhabits coral reef scree slopes around the Muiron Islands, Western Australia as an endemic species.
The pipefish is brown overall, its jaws show an irregular light mottling as well as some spots elsewhere on the snout.
There are three light spots on the mid-dorsal line, and there are also light spots on the dorsal side of the trunk and caudal fin.
There are irregular light speckles below the center of the dorsal fin, and the dorsal fin itself is narrowly fringed with black or brown.
All fins darkly pigmented, dorsal fin not bicolored.
Choeroichthys latispinosus is distinguished from other species in the genus by a projecting, recurved, spiny anterolateral proboscis dorsum.
Etymology:
The genus name "Choeroichthys" comes from the Greek "choiros" (pig) the Greek "ichthys" (fish).
The species name "latispinosus" is derived from the Latin "atus" (side) and "spinosus" (spiny), referring to the protruding lateral snout dorsum.
Similar species:
Choeroichthys brachysoma, but has a less deep snout that lacks the lateral spines at the tip.
Choeroichthys smithi has one less dorsal fin ray and a shorter dorsal fin base.
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
The Muiron pipefish inhabits coral reef scree slopes around the Muiron Islands, Western Australia as an endemic species.
The pipefish is brown overall, its jaws show an irregular light mottling as well as some spots elsewhere on the snout.
There are three light spots on the mid-dorsal line, and there are also light spots on the dorsal side of the trunk and caudal fin.
There are irregular light speckles below the center of the dorsal fin, and the dorsal fin itself is narrowly fringed with black or brown.
All fins darkly pigmented, dorsal fin not bicolored.
Choeroichthys latispinosus is distinguished from other species in the genus by a projecting, recurved, spiny anterolateral proboscis dorsum.
Etymology:
The genus name "Choeroichthys" comes from the Greek "choiros" (pig) the Greek "ichthys" (fish).
The species name "latispinosus" is derived from the Latin "atus" (side) and "spinosus" (spiny), referring to the protruding lateral snout dorsum.
Similar species:
Choeroichthys brachysoma, but has a less deep snout that lacks the lateral spines at the tip.
Choeroichthys smithi has one less dorsal fin ray and a shorter dorsal fin base.
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
