Spotted Xenia-Pipefish

Siokunichthys herrei

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Siokunichthys
Species: Siokunichthys herrei

The spotted xenia-pipefish (Siokunichthys herrei) is a tiny, speckled pipefish that lives hidden among the polyps of Xenia and other soft corals. Its pale body is dotted with small dark spots that mimic the texture of the coral.

It reaches only a few centimetres and stays deep within its host colony, where it feeds on minute zooplankton. Like its relatives, the male carries the developing eggs on his belly.

This pipefish is found in the western Pacific, including the Philippines, where slow, careful searching of Xenia colonies on the reef can reveal one tucked among the pulsing polyps.