Tracey I Howley, Australia
Info
Maroubra perserrata Whitley, 1948
Maroubra perserrata, also known as the sawtooth pipefish, is a marine fish species in the pipefish family (Syngnathidae).
The pipefish genus Maroubra contains only two described species, one of which, Maroubra perserrata, is endemic to Australia, and the other, Maroubra yasudai, is endemic to Japan.
Description Maroubra perserrata: Body long and slender; body ridges raised and spiny. Gray to brownish or yellowish with a light stripe from the mouth to the base of the tail; head with a brown stripe on the side; body often with two thin brownish-red lines on the side. Up to 8 cm long.
This nocturnal species lives during the day in crevices, caves, and under rock ledges at depths of 0-25 m, often in small groups. It is a small, difficult to spot species.
Like other pipefish, the male has a brood pouch just below the tail fin in which it carries the eggs. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with the males incubating the eggs for about 22 days before giving birth to live young.
Although the pipefish can be found in many different habitats, it is often found in openings in reefs and rocks that contain algae and invertebrates, which probably serve as camouflage.
Maroubra perserrata is considered more mobile than many other pipefish species due to its prehensile tail and reduced tail fin.
Maroubra perserrata is endemic to southern Australia, from northern New South Wales to southwestern Western Australia, including Tasmania.
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".
Maroubra perserrata, also known as the sawtooth pipefish, is a marine fish species in the pipefish family (Syngnathidae).
The pipefish genus Maroubra contains only two described species, one of which, Maroubra perserrata, is endemic to Australia, and the other, Maroubra yasudai, is endemic to Japan.
Description Maroubra perserrata: Body long and slender; body ridges raised and spiny. Gray to brownish or yellowish with a light stripe from the mouth to the base of the tail; head with a brown stripe on the side; body often with two thin brownish-red lines on the side. Up to 8 cm long.
This nocturnal species lives during the day in crevices, caves, and under rock ledges at depths of 0-25 m, often in small groups. It is a small, difficult to spot species.
Like other pipefish, the male has a brood pouch just below the tail fin in which it carries the eggs. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with the males incubating the eggs for about 22 days before giving birth to live young.
Although the pipefish can be found in many different habitats, it is often found in openings in reefs and rocks that contain algae and invertebrates, which probably serve as camouflage.
Maroubra perserrata is considered more mobile than many other pipefish species due to its prehensile tail and reduced tail fin.
Maroubra perserrata is endemic to southern Australia, from northern New South Wales to southwestern Western Australia, including Tasmania.
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".
