Corythoichthys haematopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
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
The messmate pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from the eastern coast of Africa to the Vanuatu Islands. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade where it is known as the dragonfaced pipefish.
Other common names are bloodspot pipefish, reef pipefish, reeftop pipefish and yellow-streaked pipefish.
The messmate pipefish exhibits biofluorescence, that is, when illuminated by blue or ultraviolet light, it re-emits it as yellow, and appears differently than under white light illumination. Biofluorescence may assist in intraspecific communication and camouflage. Messmate pipefish exhibit red fluorescent light strongly in the fins, which is important in signaling with conspecifics. These fluorescent pigments are found in cells similar to melanophores, which may originate from microorganisms.
Wikipedia contributors, Messmate pipefish; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:25:20.065282+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Corythoichthys haematopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
- Name authority
- (Bleeker, 1851)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Syngnathiformes
- Family
- Syngnathidae
- Genus
- Corythoichthys
- 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
- genusCorythoichthys Kaup, 1853
- speciesCorythoichthys haematopterus (Bleeker, 1851)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Corythoichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Corythoichthys conspicillatus (Jenyns, 1842) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys amplexus Dawson & Randall, 1975 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys benedetto Allen & Erdmann, 2008 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys flavofasciatus (Rüppell, 1838) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys insularis Dawson, 1977 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| banded pipefishCorythoichthys intestinalis (Ramsay, 1881) | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys nigripectus Herald, 1953 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys ocellatus Herald, 1953 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Corythoichthys polynotatus Dawson, 1977 | SyngnathidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Schultz's pipefishCorythoichthys schultzi Herald, 1953 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Syngnathus crenulatus Weber, 1913 Weber, 1913 | synonym |
| Syngnathus fasciatus Gray, 1830 Gray, 1830 | ambiguous synonym |
| Syngnathus haematopterus Bleeker, 1851 Bleeker, 1851 | synonym |
| Corythoichthys hematopterus (Bleeker, 1851) (Bleeker, 1851) | synonym |
| Corythroichthys isigakius Jordan & Snyder, 1901 Jordan & Snyder, 1901 | synonym |
| Ichthyocampus papuensis Sauvage, 1880 Sauvage, 1880 | synonym |
| Corythroichthys elerae Evermann & Seale, 1907 Evermann & Seale, 1907 | 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=217991 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:YSZL. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.