HALIMEDA GHOST PIPEFISH

Imagine turning into a tree in order to hide in the bush! That’s what the Halimedia Pipefish does, mimicking its favourite algae. The fish takes camouflage so seriously it barely moves a muscle, adrift in the water like a motionless plant.

The Halimedia Ghost Pipefish is a species of false pipefishes, and the smallest of the ghost pipefishes. It is a relative of the seahorse, and can be found across the Western Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean. Its body is often green, to match the Halimeda macroalga that’s common in reef environments. The fish can also be red, or any other colour that matches a corresponding algae. It spends most of its time hanging motionless in the water column, mouth faced downwards, mimicking its host algae. It feeds on small crustacea, which it sucks in through its long snout.