Hairy pipefish (Urocampus carinirostris)

Scientific name: Urocampus carinirostris Castelnau, 1872

The Hairy pipefish (Urocampus carinirostris) is a brackish-water fish of the family Syngnathidae. Native range: Western Pacific, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 2. Small and slender, and have a short, thick snout, continuous superior trunk and tail ridges, small pectoral fins, and a dorsal fin that originates on tail rings 5-9. Body usually has numerous hair-like appendages which provide camouflage.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Urocampus carinirostris
Family: Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses)
Order: Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and Seahorses)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 10.0
Depth range: 3 m (10 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 3 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Pacific: Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=20)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026