Seahorses and Pipefish Codexery

Microphis lineatus

A West Atlantic pipefish with distinctive breeding colors and uncertain taxonomy.

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It is found in fresh, brackish, and marine waters of the West Atlantic region.[1] The species reaches up to 19.4 cm in standard length.[2] The opossum pipefish, known scientifically as Microphis lineatus, belongs to the Syngnathidae family.[1]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderSyngnathiformes
  6. FamilySyngnathidae
  7. GenusMicrophis
  8. SpeciesMicrophis lineatus

Named by (Kaup, 1856)

Close relatives

Other species of Microphis with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Microphis lineatus (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 400978 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Data Deficient (DD)

Data Deficient: there is not enough information to place this species on the risk scale.

Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment

Source: IUCN Red List assessment

How big is it?

Size comparison: Microphis lineatus and a personA 0.19 m long microphis lineatus drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.19 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.19 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Microphis lineatus

Where the microphis lineatus has been recorded

Where the microphis lineatus has been recorded29 mapped locations from 443 GBIF occurrence records; marked places: Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (443 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 97 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biology and range

It is now recognized as a full species by both FishBase and Catalog of Fishes.[3] Microphis lineatus was once classified as a subspecies of Microphis brachyurus.[3] The National Marine Fisheries Service lists this fish as a species of concern within the United States.[2] Because of taxonomic uncertainties and its susceptibility to habitat loss, the IUCN categorizes it as data deficient.[2]

What the specialist sources record

The World Register of Marine Species lists Microphis lineatus as an accepted species, described by Kaup in 1856.[4] WoRMS records its environment as marine, brackish, and freshwater.[4] GBIF accepts Microphis lineatus (Kaup, 1856) as a species in the order Syngnathiformes and family Syngnathidae.[5] GBIF holds 572 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[5]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Microphis lineatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pollom, R., "Microphis brachyurus ssp. lineatus", The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2015, p. e.T46108938A46959096; ; Pollom, R., "Microphis brachyurus ssp. lineatus", The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2015, p. e.T46108938A46959096 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Microphis lineatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service: Species of Concern.; Pollom, R., "Microphis brachyurus ssp. lineatus", The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2015, p. e.T46108938A46959096; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Microphis lineatus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; ; Pollom, R., "Microphis brachyurus ssp. lineatus", The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2015, p. e.T46108938A46959096 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. World Register of Marine Species, Microphis lineatus (AphiaID 400978). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  5. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Microphis lineatus (taxon key 5712327). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Microphis lineatus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Syngnathidae)

Acentronura breviperula Acentronura breviperulaAlligator pipefish Syngnathoides biaculeatusBanded pipefish Dunckerocampus dactyliophorusBay pipefish Syngnathus leptorhynchus

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Ragged-tail pipefishStraightnose pipefishCommon seadragonRuby seadragonSeahorseBarbour's seahorseBig-belly seahorseHippocampus colemaniDenise's pygmy seahorseDwarf seahorseFlat-faced seahorseGiraffe seahorse

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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