Cheeked Pipefish threats
Corythoichthys insularis is under threat from coral reef habitat loss. Corals are threatened globally due to coastal development, pollution, destructive fishing, and the effects of climate change (ocean acidification and rising sea surface temperatures - Carpenter et al. 2008, Normile 2016). Although the reefs in the area are healthier than most, similar threats are present in this region and are predicted to increase in the future (McLanahan et al. 2007a,b, 2014). In Comoros, degraded reefs are prevalent and associated with coastal development (Freed and Granek 2014). The species is however also able to inhabit rocky reefs (FishNet2 2016). Further research is needed to determine how much wild populations of this species are affected by the loss of corals.
