Festucalex wassi

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Wass's pipefish

| status = DD

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref =

| image =

| image_caption =

| taxon = Festucalex wassi

| authority = Dawson, 1977

}}

Wass's pipefish (Festucalex wassi) is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is known from only six species, which were found in the coastal waters of Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa.{{cite iucn | author1 = Manning, C. | author2 = Pollom, R. | name-list-style = amp | year = 2016 | title = Festucalex wassi |errata=2017 | volume = 2016 | page = e.T65367364A115422176 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T65367364A67624738.en }} It inhabits soft coral habitats and coral rubble to depths of {{convert|50|m|ft}}, where it can grow to lengths of {{convert|7.4|cm|in}}.Dawson, C.E., 1985. Indo-Pacific pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Ocean Springs, Mississippi, USA Little is known of the species’ feeding habits, but it is expected to eat small crustaceans, similar to other pipefish. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. The specific name honours the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist Richard C. Wass.{{cite web | url = http://www.bemon.loven.gu.se/petymol.vw.html | title = Biographical Etymology of Marine Organism Names. VW | accessdate = 30 May 2018 | publisher = Hans G. Hansson}}