This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 at 11:27 pm and is filed under About, Adventure Cruises, History, Information, Sites, Snorkeling, Snuba. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Photo Courtesy Dr. John Randall
The pipefish are a cousin to the seahorse. According to Dr. Randall, they are so closely related that the pipefish is almost like a long seahorse. Both have their bodies encased with bony rings, instead of a spine like other fish. The redstripe (above photo) and the bluestripe pipefish have both been observed cleaning other fish, including the mouths of eels! They have a very small gill opening and are often observed hanging motionless, hovering over reefs. They eat small crustaceans, such as copepods, with a quick sucking motion.
Reproduction is very bizarre. The female deposits the eggs into a ventral pouch on the male. (“I don’t want to do it, YOU do it!”) On the pipefish, the pouch can run about 1/3 of the body length, even more. The male will carry the eggs several weeks until they hatch. There is no parental care, and the many little ones will most likely drift away on currents.
Finding these odd animals is quite possible while snorkeling in Hawaii. The SNUBA or snorkeler just needs to be very aware and observant. The pipefish are seen in Molokini and many other places. Look for splashes of color and hold still. Become one with the reef.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:31 am
Pipes Of The Ocean | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
I thought it was risky to book a vacation online. But your services proved me wrong! I had the time of my life snorkeling in Maui!…
September 11th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Pipes Of The Ocean | Maui Snorkeling Trips…
I think Maui is a slice of paradise. The underwater scenery is really incomparable. Thanks for the memorable trip! I think I will be visiting the amazing place more often….