Rudie Hermann Kuiter, Aquatic Photographics, Australien
Info
Vanacampus vercoi is a rarely occurring pipefish found only in South Australia.
The body of the pipefish is brownish with 4 - 6 light narrow stripes on the back and a dark stripe on the front of each body ring.7
Pale spots or stripes are often seen on the lower part of the gill cover.
Vanacampus vercoi inhabits shallow subtidal macroalgae and seagrass beds (Posidonia and Zostera), tide pools, intertidal channels, and boulder habitats where the pipefish feeds on small crustaceans found on the substrate and among algae and seagrass leaves.
Mysidacea are an important food source for juveniles
Vanacampus verco is ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young); eggs are hatched by males in a closed pouch on the underside of the tail just behind the anal fin.
The body rings are present at an early stage, and the anal fin is reduced.
Verco's Seendel has a shorter snout, fewer proboscis rings, and fewer subdorsal rings than other species in the genus Vanacampus.
It can also be confused with two other short-nosed species: Kaupus costatus and Pugnaso curtirostris.
Vanacampus vercoi has fewer dorsal fin rays than Kaupus costatus (19-21 versus 30-36) and differs from Pugnaso curtirostris in having fewer proboscis rings (16 versus 18) and a complete opercular crest.
The species is named after the Australian biologist and malacologist Joseph Verco (1851-1933).
Synonyms:
Corythoichthys flindersi Scott, 1957.
Syngnathus vercoi Waite & Hale, 1921
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
The body of the pipefish is brownish with 4 - 6 light narrow stripes on the back and a dark stripe on the front of each body ring.7
Pale spots or stripes are often seen on the lower part of the gill cover.
Vanacampus vercoi inhabits shallow subtidal macroalgae and seagrass beds (Posidonia and Zostera), tide pools, intertidal channels, and boulder habitats where the pipefish feeds on small crustaceans found on the substrate and among algae and seagrass leaves.
Mysidacea are an important food source for juveniles
Vanacampus verco is ovoviviparous (gives birth to live young); eggs are hatched by males in a closed pouch on the underside of the tail just behind the anal fin.
The body rings are present at an early stage, and the anal fin is reduced.
Verco's Seendel has a shorter snout, fewer proboscis rings, and fewer subdorsal rings than other species in the genus Vanacampus.
It can also be confused with two other short-nosed species: Kaupus costatus and Pugnaso curtirostris.
Vanacampus vercoi has fewer dorsal fin rays than Kaupus costatus (19-21 versus 30-36) and differs from Pugnaso curtirostris in having fewer proboscis rings (16 versus 18) and a complete opercular crest.
The species is named after the Australian biologist and malacologist Joseph Verco (1851-1933).
Synonyms:
Corythoichthys flindersi Scott, 1957.
Syngnathus vercoi Waite & Hale, 1921
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
