Girdled pipefish (Festucalex cinctus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Syngnathiformes · Family: Syngnathidae · Genus: Festucalex.

Accepted name: Festucalex cinctus · Authority: (Ramsay, 1882) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 279032.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Syngnathus cinctus Ramsay, 1882.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279032 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Festucalex cinctus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 13 cm · Depth range: 8–31 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: eel-like · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: bycatch · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Found over rubble bottom. Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205). In New South Wales, Australia, males may be brooding at 9.9 cm SL.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 46128) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Festucalex-cinctus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

170 georeferenced occurrence records for Festucalex cinctus are published through GBIF from 1 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 4 distinct locations from a sample of 170 records, omitting 7 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Australia (170).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2332864) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2332864&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=279032 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Festucalex cinctus (Ramsay, 1882) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 65367195) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/65367195/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2332864) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2332864/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

This species can be recognized by its broad head, slender snout, and leafy appendages on its dorsal ridges. Its colour varies from dark grey to orange-brown with pale bars along the back and an orange blotch on the lower gill cover, with occasional sightings of pale or black individuals. It can grow to lengths of 16 cm.

Festucalex cinctus is endemic to Australia, found off the coast of Queensland and New South Wales. It is a secretive species which lives in sheltered coastal bays and estuaries, on patches of coral rubble, sand or in areas where there is a sparse growth of seagrass, algae and sponges, at depths of 8-31 m. F. cinctus has been recorded in small numbers in the open water near to pilings of piers in harbours.

Festucalex cinctus is demersal and is expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. The males bear the fertilised eggs in a semi-enclosed pouch on the ventral side of the trunk, this pouch has distinct protective plates and its folds barely meet on the midline when it is full of eggs.

Festucalex cinctus is a species of marine animal listed under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and which is protected under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act. Specimens from the tropical part of its distribution, in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, appear to be different from specimens in New South Wales and may represent a different species.

Source: Wikipedia: Festucalex cinctus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festucalex_cinctus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.