This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and ensure the functionality of our site. For more detailed information about the types of cookies we use and how we protect your privacy, please visit our Privacy Information page.

×

Cookie Settings

This website uses different types of cookies to enhance your experience. Please select your preferences below:

Siphamia spinicola
Siphamia spinicola Gon & Allen, 2012
Reef siphonfish
Siphamia spinicola
photo by Randall, J.E.

Family:  Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes), subfamily: Apogoninae
Max. size:  4 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine; depth range 5 - 20 m
Distribution:  Western Central Pacific: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Federated States of Micronesia (Ref. 90035).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 8-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 8-8. Dorsal rays VII+I,9; anal rays II,8; pectoral rays 14-16; tubed lateral-line scales 14-21; median predorsal scales 4-5; total gill rakers 2-4 + 9-11 = 12-14; developed gill rakers 1 + 8-9; gill rakers on ceratobranchial 7-8. Body depth 2.4-2.7 in SL and body width 1.8-2.2 in the depth; eye diameter 2.8-3.4 in head length; first dorsal spine 2.5-3.25 in second spine; second dorsal spine 4.15-5.5, spine of second dorsal fin 3.5-4.6, and second anal spine 5.5-6.1, all in head length; pectoral-fin length 4.4-5.4 and pelvic-fin length 4.1-5.3 in SL; caudal-peduncle length 1.3-1.9 in distance between pelvic spine insertion and anal-fin origin. Preopercular edge with 19-32 small serrations; preopercular ridge smooth. Tip of light organ on each side of tongue bound by membrane (Ref. 90035).
Biology:  Inhabits coral reefs in 5-20 m (Ref 90102). Specimens were collected from and observed among the spines of Acanthaster planci in Woleai Atoll and Diadema savignyi in New Ireland (USNM 357887) on bottoms of coral and rock or on coral patches surrounded by sand (Ref. 90035).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 17 August 2023 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.