Bay pipefish
Syngnathus leptorhynchus
- On view
- Monterey Bay Habitats
- Animal type
- Fishes
- Ecosystem
- Coastal wetlands
- Relatives
- Kelp pipefish, Pacific seahorses; Family: Syngnathidae
- Diet
- Small crustaceans
- Range
- Sitka, Alaska, to southern Baja California in Mexico. Common in eelgrass in bays and sloughs.
- Size
- Up to 13 inches (33 cm)
Meet the bay pipefish
At first glance, you might not notice a bay pipefish gliding through the eelgrass—its long, pencil-slim body and greenish color mimic a swaying blade. In place of scales, jointed, bonelike rings encircle this fish’s body. To eat, a hungry pipefish gets its tubular, toothless mouth an inch or so from its prey—and slurps.
Natural history
A pipefish has tiny dorsal and pectoral fins that beat rapidly as it leisurely swims—either vertically or (mostly) horizontally. A pipefish steers by moving its head from side to side.
Conservation
No major commercial or sport fisheries exist for bay pipefish, but dried pipefish and seahorses are used for medicinal purposes in some cultures. Pipefish, mixed with herbs, are used for whole body treatments, while seahorses are used for specific ailments. Pipefish are abundant, but if the demand from alternative healthcare markets and collectors dramatically increases, pipefish might become as scarce as many of their seahorse relatives.
Cool facts
- A female pipefish courts the male. If the courting is successful, she deposits up to 721 eggs in a brood pouch on the underside of the male’s body. Then a protective tissue forms over the pouch opening and seals the eggs inside. The male incubates the eggs and even supplies nourishment to the embryos via an attachment to his abdominal wall and bloodstream. The eggs hatch in about six weeks depending on water temperature.
- The pipefish was named after the long, slim pipes men smoked in the mid-1700s.
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