First Record of Bellybarred Pipefish, Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838), (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) from Balochistan Coast, Northern Arabian Sea
First Record of Bellybarred Pipefish, Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838), (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) from Balochistan Coast, Northern Arabian Sea
Asadullah Ali Muhammad1* and Ateeqa Baloch2
ABSTRACT
This study reports the first record of the Bellybarred Pipefish, Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838), from Kataow Beach, Pasni, Balochistan, on the Northern Arabian Sea. A single specimen measuring 153 mm in total length was collected from a shallow brackish water habitat. Morphological and meristic analyses revealed key diagnostic features, such as the absence of an anal fin, discontinuous trunk and tail ridges align with the original descriptions of H. spicifer by Rüppell, (1838) and later accounts by Dawson, (1978, 1985). The discovery extends the known geographical range of H. spicifer, previously reported from the Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, and various other regions, to Pakistan’s coastline. The discovery underscores the importance of coastal and estuarine habitats along the Balochistan coast for ichthyofaunal diversity and highlights the need for continued research and conservation efforts for syngnathid species in Pakistan.
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