Dwarf Pipehorse (female)

Acentronura tentaculata is a species of pygmy pipehorse from the family Syngnathidae. The status of this species is debated and Acentronura breviperula is considered to be subsumed within this species by some authorities. 
Other names: Shortpouch Pygmy Pipehorse or Northern Little Pipehorse.

Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-17; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4. Caudal absent in sub adults and adults. Females are slender and pipefish-like, but larger males are more seahorse-like. Brown to nearly black with white speckling, slightly expanded seahorse-like chest, pale and short snout, various skin flaps on head and body. It is very well camouflaged in sandy and silty environments. Although it has a prehensile tail like a seahorse, but lacks an angled head and swims horizontally. They are often found in pairs.

Distribution

The exact distribution of this species may be as wide as the western Indo-Pacific region from East Africa to New Caledonia and the northern Great Barrier Reef. Other authorities however describe Acentronura tentaculata as being endemic to the Red Sea.

Habitat

It lives near reefs, in shallow protected coastal areas. It is usually found in sandy or silty areas among sparse seagrass beds and algae covered rocks at 1-20 m.