Since my last limerick about ornate ghost pipefishes was so well received, it seemed to me that the only thing to do was to pen another one. This one highlights the reproductive habits of the ghost pipefish, and how they differ from the “true” pipefishes and seahorses.
There is an important taxonomic divide between the ghost pipefish and the “true” pipefish. You see, the ghost pipefish is a member of the taxonomic family Solenostomidae. The true pipefishes and the seahorses belong to the family Sygnathidae. Together, both families comprise the order Sygnathiformes.
Now that we’ve gotten that pesky Latin out of the way…
Everybody knows that the male seahorse broods the young. This is also true for the true pipefishes; after the female lays the eggs, the male incubates them in a ventral pouch or attached to his tail.
Not so for our Solenostomidae friends! The ghost pipefish is a little more traditional, and leaves the egg incubation to the ladies.
This brings us to our poem:
When asked of his ties to the seahorse,
the ghost pipefish replied in due course:
“Though I lack a pouch,
“our girls are no slouch,
“and they tend to their eggs without remorse.”
Comments
6 responses to “The Reproductive Habits of the Ghost Pipefish (A Limerick)”
Awesome pictures!
Thank you, Jessica!
Great shots, not always easy to snap shots from moving creatures.
Thank you, Jay! But the ghost pipefish actually don’t move around all that much. They’re tough to spot because they tend to just hover around!
THese are awesome! Love the seahorse shot. – melody
Thanks, Melody! If you like the seahorse, you can see more of it here: http://www.ashleyhauck.com/blog/2013/12/06/sad-seahorse/