| Family: |
Pegasidae (Seamoths) |
| Max. size: |
20 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 73 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: Delagoa Bay, Mozambique to Saudi Arabia (Persian Gulf) and throughout Gulf of Manaar to Bay of Bengal; along the east coast of Myanmar; north to Japan, south to tropical Australia (Ref. 1418) and Papua New Guinea (Ref. 6192). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5-5; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 5-5; Vertebrae: 21-21. Body light brown or olive to dark brown-black dorsally and laterally, lighter ventrally. Tubercles absent on surface of carapace; no scales on orbit; distal margin of dorsal and anal fins perpendicular to horizontal axis of body. 4 pairs of dorsolateral body plates; 5 pairs of ventrolateral body plates; tail rings 12, anteriormost 9 mobile, last 3 fused; a lateral pair of posteriorly directed spines on terminal tail rings; suborbital shelf convex obscuring eye from ventral view; deep pits absent. Rostrum monomorphic and spatulate.
Description: Characterized by having numerous dark brown spots on head, body and fins; sometimes with presence of dark or pale bands on tail; relatively narrow and elongate carapace; relatively long snout (Ref. 90102). |
| Biology: |
A rare species (Ref. 4264) collected from muddy and sandy bottoms of estuaries and bays. Known to 'walk' over the bottom using its tentacular pelvic fins. Juveniles expatriate to tropical regions; adults mainly found in muddy estuaries where they pair. Sometimes they are seen partly buried but also feed during the day. Sometimes found floating on the surface (Ref. 48635). Sometimes occurs in seagrass areas (Ref 90102). Feeds on small benthic organisms (Ref. 68964). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 12 July 2016 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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