worm pipefish
Penetopteryx nanus (Rosén, 1911)
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
Penetopteryx nanus, also known as the worm pipefish, is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. The species can be found in shallow water coral rubble and macroalgae habitats in the Western Atlantic from Providencia Island, Colombia, to the Bahamas and Belize. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which the males brood eggs before giving live birth. Penetopteryx nanus are typically 3-6 millimeters when born and can reach up to recorded lengths of 3.17 centimeters in adulthood. In their larval state, Penetopteryx nanus have well-developed fins, but these are lost in adulthood.
Wikipedia contributors, Penetopteryx nanus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:34:58.297649+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Penetopteryx nanus (Rosén, 1911)
- Name authority
- (Rosén, 1911)
- Common name
- worm pipefish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Syngnathiformes
- Family
- Syngnathidae
- Genus
- Penetopteryx
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · 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
- subfamilySyngnathinae Bonaparte, 1831
- genusPenetopteryx Lunel, 1881
- speciesPenetopteryx nanus (Rosén, 1911)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Penetopteryx. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Penetopteryx taeniocephalus Lunel, 1881 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Nannocampus nanus Rosén, 1911 Rosén, 1911 | 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=278462 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:76H6K. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.