The seamoths are a family, the Pegasidae, of fish found in coastal tropical waters.

They are distinguished by flattened bodies, the presence of large, wing-like, pectoral fins, and a body encased in thick, bony plates. Most species also have an elongated snout

Snout

The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...

 in front of their jaws. Their pelvic fins are also modified, allowing them to "walk" across the sea bottom where they live. Their jaws are highly specialised, and can form a tube-like mouth used to suck worms and other small animals from their burrow

Burrow

A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...

s.

Species

The family contains two genera and five species.

Family Pegasidae

• Genus Eurypegasus
  Eurypegasus
  Eurypegasus is a genus of fish in the Pegasidae family.It contains the following species:* little dragonfish * hawaiian sea-moth fish...
  
  
  • Short dragonfish, Eurypegasus draconis (Linnaeus, 1766)
  • Hawaiian seamoth
    Hawaiian sea-moth fish
    The Hawaiian Sea-moth fish is a species of fish in the Pegasidae family. It is endemic to Hawaii.-References:* Vincent, A. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    , Eurypegasus papilio (Gilbert
    Charles Henry Gilbert
    Charles Henry Gilbert was a pioneer ichthyologist and fishery biologist of particular significance to natural history of the western United States. He collected and studied fishes from Central America north to Alaska and described many new species...
    
    , 1905)
• Genus Pegasus
  Pegasus (genus)
  Pegasus is a genus of pegasid fish found in coastal tropical marine waters. The name was taken from the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology...
  
  
  • Sculptured Seamoth
    Pegasus lancifer
    The Sculptured seamoth is a species of fish in the Pegasidae family....
    
    , Pegasus lancifer Kaup
    Johann Jakob Kaup
    Johann Jakob Kaup was a German naturalist.-Biography:He was born at Darmstadt. After studying at Göttingen and Heidelberg he spent two years at Leiden, where his attention was specially devoted to the amphibians and fishes. He then returned to Darmstadt as an assistant in the grand ducal museum,...
    
    , 1861
  • Brick seamoth
    Pegasus laternarius
    The brick seamoth, Pegasus laternarius, is a species of fish in the Pegasidae family. It is found in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.-References:* Vincent, A. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
    
    , Pegasus laternarius Cuvier
    Georges Cuvier
    Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
    
    , 1816
  • Longtail seamoth, Pegasus volitans Linnaeus, 1758