Morphology Data of Hippocampus japapigu
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Short, G., R. Smith, H. Motomura, D. Harasti and H. Hamilton, 2018
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral other (see remarks)
Cross section angular
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: 28 tail rings; 14 dorsal fin rays; 9 pectoral fin rays; 4 subdorsal rings; bilaterally paired wing-like protrusions are formed by a pair of large truncate spines projecting laterad on first superior trunk ridge; elevated dorsal ridge is formed by unique triangular bony mounds dorsally on second, the third and fourth trunk rings with the posterior mound less pronounced; a large and prominent spine projecting laterad on eighth lateral trunk ridge (Ref. 118476).

Description: Colour when alive: the head, trunk and tail are brown, with overlay of reticulate (net-like) irregular quadrilateral and pentagonal skin formations, brown or white, white outline, entire surface of head and body peppered with tiny black dots; elevated dorsal ridge on second to fourth superior trunk rings, engorged red, reticulate color pattern diffuse or may be absent; dorsal fin base, red, no reticulate pattern; tail rings with one row of rounded quadrilaterals, one quadrilateral per ring, brown with white outline; the fifth superior ridge spine red; fifth and eighth lateral trunk ridge spines are white; eighth inferior trunk ridge spine is red; fifth, ninth, 12th superior tail ridge spines are red, every fourth ring thereafter have two dorsolateral color spots, red; dermal appendages on coronet anteriorly (Ref. 118476).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Hippocampus japapigu

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total
Soft-rays total 14 - 14
Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Attributes

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total
Soft-rays total

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     
Soft-rays   9 - 9
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     
Soft-rays   
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