What Pipe Fish is this?

[Papa Bear]

Found in Wananavu Fiji in pairs:

[rubber chicken]

The closest match I can come up with is the Robust Ghostpipefish, (Solenostomus cyanopterus).

How big were they?

[Papa Bear]

Thanks! I think your right, they were about 6 inches long.........

[The Publisher]

But that is an odd body depth for a Robust ghost pipefish.....I have hot the on video and they don't look much like those two at all.

[Papa Bear]

It was my first encounter with them! They were at 40ft or less in Rubble.

I thought they were F-17s???

[The Publisher]

Ok, that is a better profile photo, as I thought there may have been a rather odd snout to body height aspect ratio....this gives us a little more to go on.

In the Philippines and Indonesia I see robust ghost pipefish, but their bodies are not so tall.

[Papa Bear]

Local adaptation? The way they moved in pairs was very cool!

[Josh]

These guys are poorly studied and their taxonomy is a bit shakey. Solenostomus for sure, but the species is probably undescribed.

Take a look at these for variety :
http://www.underseaproductions.com/s...ipsPerPage=100

Could be a few mistakes there but i have spoken to a few experts and these are the best names I could come up with.

[Papa Bear]

Thanks! Okay, Solenostomus Reedi works for me

[Nemo]

When I first saw the image it reminded me of a leafy ghost pipefish.