Johnny Braun, Luxemburg
Info
Micrognathus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842)
Micrognathus crinitus is found in coral rubble (low coral cover on white sandy bottom), usually near sea fans.
This pipefish reaches about 15 cm in length and is often found in the interstices of shallow mixed sands, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and algae-covered reefs. Interestingly, they are often found in pairs.
The species feeds on planktonic and benthic invertebrates.
Synonyms:
Corythoichthys vittatus Kaup, 1856
Corythroichthys ensenadae Silvester, 1915
Halicampus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842)
Micrognathus ensenadae (Silvester, 1915)
Micrognathus jonesi (Günther, 1874)
Micrognathus jonesii (Günther, 1874)
Micrognathus vittatus (Kaup, 1856)
Syngnathus crinitus Jenyns, 1842
Syngnathus jonesii Günther, 1874
Feeding intake.
The fish take a long time to eat at the beginning, before the food is taken up, a close inspection is carried out. After acclimatisation, the offered frozen food is eaten without problems. It should be noted that wild-caught fish behave differently than offspring when it comes to food intake. In the case of offspring, the size of the fish purchased also plays a role in the choice of food.
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
Micrognathus crinitus is found in coral rubble (low coral cover on white sandy bottom), usually near sea fans.
This pipefish reaches about 15 cm in length and is often found in the interstices of shallow mixed sands, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and algae-covered reefs. Interestingly, they are often found in pairs.
The species feeds on planktonic and benthic invertebrates.
Synonyms:
Corythoichthys vittatus Kaup, 1856
Corythroichthys ensenadae Silvester, 1915
Halicampus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842)
Micrognathus ensenadae (Silvester, 1915)
Micrognathus jonesi (Günther, 1874)
Micrognathus jonesii (Günther, 1874)
Micrognathus vittatus (Kaup, 1856)
Syngnathus crinitus Jenyns, 1842
Syngnathus jonesii Günther, 1874
Feeding intake.
The fish take a long time to eat at the beginning, before the food is taken up, a close inspection is carried out. After acclimatisation, the offered frozen food is eaten without problems. It should be noted that wild-caught fish behave differently than offspring when it comes to food intake. In the case of offspring, the size of the fish purchased also plays a role in the choice of food.
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
