Above: Juvenile Pug-nose pipefish from near Ceduna, western Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.

Similar species to the Pug-nose pipefish with their concave snout, are Verco's pipefish, Pt. Phillip pipefish, male Deep-body pipefish (Kaupus costatus), and Gale's pipefish (Campicthys galei).

Pt. Phillip pipefish (above) have a longer snout than Pug-nose pipefish. Their dorsal fin generally has more rays (22-29) than those of Pug-nose pipefish (21-25). Characteristic of Pt. Phillip pipefish are scribbly blue broken markings on their flanks.

Male Deep-body pipefish (left) are thin compared to the female and can be distinguished from Pug-nose pipefish by the dorsal fin being mostly forward of the vent, a zigzag pattern in the stripes on their side, and a white stripe through the eye.

RANGE: Across southern Australia from Victoria, through northern Tasmania, to south western Western Australia.

DISTRIBUTION: The Pug-nose pipefish is one of the most commonly recorded pipefish from sites. However, often only one or two specimens are recorded from each site. The Pug-nose pipefish is widely distributed in depths to 11 meters.

HABITAT: The Pug-nose pipefish appears to live on broken areas of seabed along channels or in exposed substrate. Their habitat includes sites with seagrass or with algae.

POPULATION DYNAMICS: Of 11 Pug-nose pipefish collected at Marion Bay, South Australia, three were males from 153-155mm in length. The other nine of undetermined sex ranged from 74-149mm in length. Of 407 pipefish sampled inshore in seagrass (Zostera and Posidonia) to 1 meter below low tide mark in St. Vincent's Gulf, South Australia, only 6 were Pug-nose pipefish.

REPRODUCTION: The egg numbers of three males of Pug-nose pipefish from Marion Bay, South Australia, were 12, 62 and 50, and those from two males from Venus Bay, South Australia, were 60, 85 and 90. Eggs were only found from November and December. The eggs were found in three staggered rows.

CONSERVATION: The wide range, distribution and the variety of habitats in which the Pug-nose pipefish is found places this species is a position of low conservation significance. Any reduction of the wide range of this species should become apparent with appropriate monitoring of other pipefish and inshore demersal fish.