Family : Pegasidae (Seamoths)
Order : Gasterosteiformes  (sticklebacks and seamoths)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Longtail seamoth
Fish Name : Pegasus volitans
Max size : 18.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 559)
Environment : demersal ; depth range 1 - 73 m
Climate : tropical; 36°N - 37°S
Global Importance : fisheries: of no interest
Resilience: Distribution: Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: Delagoa Bay, Mozambique to Saudi Arabia (Persian Gulf) and throughout Gulf of Manaar to Bay of Bengal; along the east coast of Myanmar; north to Japan, south to tropical Australia (Ref. 1418) and Papua New Guinea (Ref. 6192).
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5-5; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 5-5; Vertebrae: 21-21. Body light brown or olive to dark brown-black dorsally and laterally, lighter ventrally. Tubercles absent on surface of carapace; no scales on orbit; distal margin of dorsal and anal fins perpendicular to horizontal axis of body. 4 pairs of dorsolateral body plates; 5 pairs of ventrolateral body plates; tail rings 12, anteriormost 9 mobile, last 3 fused; a lateral pair of posteriorly directed spines on terminal tail rings; suborbital shelf convex obscuring eye from ventral view; deep pits absent. Rostrum monomorphic and spatulate.
Biology : A rare species (Ref. 4264) collected from muddy and sandy bottoms of estuaries and bays. Known to 'walk' over the bottom using its tentacular pelvic fins. Juveniles expatriate to tropical regions; adults mainly found in muddy estuaries where they pair. Sometimes they are seen partly buried but also feed during the day. Sometimes found floating on the surface (Ref. 48635)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Palsson, W.A. and T.W. Pietsch. 1989. (Ref. 1418)

India country information
Common Names : [ No common name ]
Status : native
Salinity : brackish, marine
Uses : no uses