Pipefish

Pipefish have long, thin bodies that vary in color from pale tan to brown. Adults have:

• Mottled markings that vary in color from tan to near black.
• Rings of bony plates covering the entire body.

Pipefish usually grow to about 6 to 8 inches long.

What species of pipefish live in the Chesapeake Bay?

Two species of pipefish can be found in the Bay:

• The northern pipefish, Syngnathus fuscus. This is the more abundant pipefish species in the Chesapeake Bay
• The dusky pipefish, Syngnathus floridae. Dusky pipefish have a longer snout and shorter dorsal fin than northern pipefish.

Where do pipefish live?

Pipefish are year-round residents of the Chesapeake Bay. They live in shallow bay grass beds in the summer and retreat to deeper channel waters in the winter.

• Northern pipefish are found throughout the Bay into fresh waters.
• Dusky pipefish are restricted to the middle and lower Bay.

What do pipefish eat?

Pipefish feed mainly on tiny crustaceans.

How do pipefish reproduce?

Pipefish reproduce between April and October, with a peak from May to June.

• The female pipefish transfers her eggs to the male's brood pouch, where they are fertilized and incubated.
• In about 14 days the eggs hatch, and the male releases a cloud of tiny, fully formed pipefish young into the water.

Other facts about pipefish:

• Pipefish are close relatives of seahorses.
• Like lined seahorses, dusky pipefish are able to change color to match their surroundings.
• Pipefish will avoid predators by aligning themselves vertically within grass beds and swaying softly, imitating a blade of eelgrass.