The northern pipefish (''Syngnathus fuscus'') is a northwest Atlantic species of fish belonging to the family

Syngnathidae The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and '' Phyllopteryx''). The name is derived from grc, σύν (), meaning "together", and (), meaning "jaw". The fused jaw is one of the t ...

Description

The northern pipefish has a long, thin, rigid body encased in bony rings. up to 30.0 cm length. The northern pipefish has a long, thin head, which is rounded at the end of the mouth. The dorsal fin spreads across 4 to 5 of the bony rings that span the body of the northern pipefish. The species has a brood pouch, made up of two lateral flaps that meet along the central line of the fish. The caudal fin is rounded, the anal fin is small, and it lacks ventral and pelvic fins. The species is generally olive or brownish on top. It is typically 10 to 20 cm long, but can sometimes be seen up to 30 cm. The Northern Pipefish is often regarded as an invader in freshwater ecosystems. Northern pipefish feed on many different organisms with freshwater ecosystems, however, studies have found zooplankton to be the primary organism in pipefish diets. There is evidence of seasonal migration.

Distribution and habitat

Occurs in the north-western Atlantic from the

Gulf of Saint Lawrence , image = Baie de la Tour.jpg , alt = , caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec , image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg , alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...

in Canada to north-eastern

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in USA and north-western

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

. Found on the depth <2–366 m. Commonly occurs in bays, tide pools, and anywhere sheltered from breaking surf.

References

* Didenko, Alexander, et al. “Feeding Patterns of the Black-Striped Pipefish Syngnathus Abaster in an Invaded Freshwater Habitat.” Environmental Biology of Fishes, vol. 101, no. 6, 2018, pp. 917–931., doi:10.1007/s10641-018-0747-x. * Smith, L. C. The Inland Fishes of New York State. New York: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 1985, pp. 419. Syngnathus Fish of North America Fish of the United States Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Fish of the Gulf of Mexico Taxa named by David Humphreys Storer Fish described in 1839 {{Syngnathiformes-stub