Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Gasterosteiformes (Sticklebacks and seamoths) > Pegasidae (Seamoths)
Etymology: Pegasus: Taken form the winged horse of Perseus in the ancient Greek, mithology (Ref. 45335); lancifer: From the Latin word 'lancea' meaning a light spear or lance.. More on author: Kaup.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 20 - 60 m. Temperate, preferred ?; 33°S - 45°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Indian Ocean: endemic to the temperate waters of southern Australia and Tasmania.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1418)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 5; Vertebrae: 22. Body light to dark brown, olive or blue dorsally and laterally, light brown ventrally. Tail rings 14, anteriormost 7 mobile, remaining 7 fused; terminal tail rings with dorsal and ventral pairs of posteriorly directed spines; rostrum square in cross section; interpectoral plate absent. 4 pairs dorsolateral body plates; 5 pairs ventrolateral body plates; suborbital shelf convex, obscuring eye from ventral view; deep pits on dorsal surface of head and within interorbital depression absent. Orbit with small scales.

Large numbers of individuals are known to congregate in the shallows of estuaries. The species is capable of burying itself in the sediment and change colors to match the background.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Spawning occurs as male & female swim from vent to vent, about 1 meter off the bottom, while they release eggs & sperms. The pair separates and each swims away as the eggs begin a pelagic phase.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Palsson, W.A. and T.W. Pietsch, 1989. Revision of the Acanthopterygian fish Family Pegasidae (Order Gasterosteiformes). Indo-Pac. Fish. (18):38 p. (Ref. 1418)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

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Ecology
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Common names
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Reproduction
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Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
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Length-weight
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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Pegasus lancifer Kaup, 1861