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A new species of pipefish (Corythoichthys quattuordecim) has been described based on five specimens collected in Vanuatu and the Chesterfield Islands in New Caledonia.
This particular species of pipefish lives in comparatively deeper waters than most of its relatives, which are typically found in shallower habitats.
Corythoichthys quattuordecim is characterized by a unique combination of morphological features, in particular the presence of 14 trunk rings, a rare meristic feature within the genus.
As the new species was described based on preserved specimens, we are unfortunately unable to provide any information on the color of living animals, and more detailed information on their native habitats is also lacking at this time.
Similar species: The new species is most similar to Corythoichthys amplexus Dawson & Randall, 1975.
Etymology:
The species name “quattuordecim” comes from Latin and refers to the 14 trunk rings of the new species, while the other species of Corythoichthys have 15–18 trunk rings.
Literature reference:
Yuki D, Fricke R, Motomura H (2025)
Corythoichthys quattuordecim, a new pipefish (Teleostei, Syngnathidae) from the Coral Sea.
ZooKeys 1244: 113-119. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1244.153942
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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".
This particular species of pipefish lives in comparatively deeper waters than most of its relatives, which are typically found in shallower habitats.
Corythoichthys quattuordecim is characterized by a unique combination of morphological features, in particular the presence of 14 trunk rings, a rare meristic feature within the genus.
As the new species was described based on preserved specimens, we are unfortunately unable to provide any information on the color of living animals, and more detailed information on their native habitats is also lacking at this time.
Similar species: The new species is most similar to Corythoichthys amplexus Dawson & Randall, 1975.
Etymology:
The species name “quattuordecim” comes from Latin and refers to the 14 trunk rings of the new species, while the other species of Corythoichthys have 15–18 trunk rings.
Literature reference:
Yuki D, Fricke R, Motomura H (2025)
Corythoichthys quattuordecim, a new pipefish (Teleostei, Syngnathidae) from the Coral Sea.
ZooKeys 1244: 113-119. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1244.153942
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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".
