First record of piscivory in ghost pipefishes (Teleostei, Solenostomidae) revealed by micro-computed tomography

Ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae) have been regarded as specialist crustacean feeders since the 1960s, an inference resting on two primary dietary accounts. We report the first documented evidence of piscivory in the family based on micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) examination of voucher specimens of Solenostomus snuffleupagus and S. cyanopterus. Two head-first teleost prey, both identified as gobiids, were recovered from the holotype of S. snuffleupagus, and additional ichthyic remains were recovered from an S. cyanopterus specimen collected in 1952, indicating a solenostomid diet broader than previously recognized.