Syngnathiformes

The Syngnathiformes are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the pipefishes, seahorses, trumpetfishes, goatfish, dragonets, flying gurnards, and sea moths, among others. These fishes have generally elongated, narrow bodies surrounded by a series of bony rings, with small, tubular mouths. The shape of their mouths—at least, in syngnathids—allows for the ingestion of prey at close range via suction. Many species of Syngnathiformes also employ strategic camouflage (such as cryptic coloration and overall physical form) to hunt successfully and gain closer access to prey, as well as to protect themselves from larger predators. Several groups, for example, live among seaweed, not only swimming with their bodies aligned vertically (to blend in with the floating plant matter), but also have developed physical features that mimic the seaweed. The pygmy seahorses are among the smallest of all syngnathids, with most being so tiny—and mimicking the specific coral they spend their lives on—that they were only recently described by scientists. The most defining characteristic of the Syngnathiformes is their reproductive and sexual system, in which syngnathid males become "pregnant" and carry the embryonic fry. The males house the fertilized eggs in an osmoregulated brood pouch or (in some species) adhere them to their tail until the eggs reach maturity.