What's New

New Record of Fish Species to Hong Kong: Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838) (Bellybarred Pipefish) 

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Freshwater Fish Working Group discovered a Bellybarred Pipefish (Hippichthys spicifer), which is a new species record to Hong Kong, during their ecological survey in Shui Hau, Lantau in May 2018. Bellybarred Pipefish can be identified by the following features:  1) A complete ridge on operculum; 2) Superior trunk ridge not connected with superior tail ridge; 3) Inferior trunk ridge connected with inferior tail ridge; 4) Lateral trunk ridge turns downward near the anus; 5) Dorsal fin originates from the second segment of the tail; 6) Ventral side of the trunk with white bandings. Maximum size of Bellybarred Pipefish can be up to 17cm (standard length).

Bellybarred Pipefish mainly lives in brackish habitats such as lower reaches of stream, estuary and mangrove etc. It is usually hiding in roots of vegetation and feeding on plankton, aquatic insects, small shrimps and fishes etc. Bellybarred Pipefish has a wide global distribution which includes South Africa, Egypt, India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan and Japan etc.

Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Dr. Atsushi Sogabe and Dr. Mohammad Reza Shokri from the IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish and Stickleback Specialist Group for the confirmation of the species identification.