Microphis lineatus (Kaup, 1856)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Microphis lineatus, the opossum pipefish, is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is found in fresh, brackish and marine waters in the West Atlantic region, ranging from New Jersey, United States, to São Paulo, Brazil, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. It is often found in rivers, among water hyacinth roots, in mangrove and in Sargassum.
The opossum pipefish was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Microphis brachyurus (native to Asia and Oceania), but is now recognized as a full species by both FishBase and Catalog of Fishes. Furthermore, it is possible that full-freshwater populations currently included in the opossum pipefish represent a separate species.
In the United States, the opossum pipefish is considered a species of concern by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Due to uncertainty about its taxonomy and vulnerability to habitat destruction, it is considered data deficient by the IUCN. It reaches up to 19.4 cm (7.6 in) in standard length.
Wikipedia contributors, Microphis lineatus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:12:26.282892+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Microphis lineatus (Kaup, 1856)
- Name authority
- (Kaup, 1856)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Syngnathiformes
- Family
- Syngnathidae
- Genus
- Microphis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderSyngnathiformes
- familySyngnathidae Bonaparte, 1831
- subfamilyNerophinae Kaup, 1853
- genusMicrophis Kaup, 1853
- speciesMicrophis lineatus (Kaup, 1856)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Microphis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| opossum pipefishMicrophis brachyurus (Bleeker, 1854) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis brevidorsalis (de Beaufort, 1913) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis deocata (Hamilton, 1822) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| freshwater pipefishMicrophis fluviatilis (Peters, 1852) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis insularis (Hora, 1925) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| barhead pipefishMicrophis leiaspis (Bleeker, 1854) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis manadensis (Bleeker, 1856) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis ocellatus (Duncker, 1910) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis pleurostictus Peters, 1868 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis retzii (Bleeker, 1856) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis caudocarinatus (Weber, 1907) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Microphis martensii (Peters, 1868) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Doryichthys lineatus Kaup, 1856 Kaup, 1856 | synonym |
| Oostethus lineatus (Kaup, 1856) (Kaup, 1856) | synonym |
| Siphostoma brevicaudum Meek, 1904 Meek, 1904 | synonym |
| Syngnathus torrei (Nichols, 1912) (Nichols, 1912) | synonym |
| Microphis brachyurus lineatus (Kaup, 1856) (Kaup, 1856) | synonym |
| Oostethus brachyurus lineatus (Kaup, 1856) (Kaup, 1856) | synonym |
| Doryrhamphus sierra Nichols, 1915 Nichols, 1915 | synonym |
| Siphostoma torrei Nichols, 1912 Nichols, 1912 | synonym |
| Siphostoma eigenmanni Wilson, 1916 Wilson, 1916 | synonym |
| Syngnathus cayennensis Sauvage, 1882 Sauvage, 1882 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=400978 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4336P. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.