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Dieren en planten

Fish   Sea horses, pipefish   Pipefish   Sea horse   Fish biology   Fish communities   Reproduction of fish   Fish diseases   Plants   Harbor flora   

Water en land

Landforms   Sea regions   North Sea (biotope)   Coastal areas   Rocky coasts   Tidal flats and shallows   Southern North Sea   Coastal zone   Sandbanks   

Mens en Milieu

Water   Water currents   Sea currents   Tides and water levels   Seawater   
  • Dut: Zeenaalden
  • Lat: Syngnathus spp., Nerophis spp., Entelurus spp.
  • Eng: Pipefish, Deep-snouted (broad-nosed) pipefish
  • Ger: Grasnadel, Seenadel, Schlangennadel
  • Dan: Tangnil
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Pipefish, Ecomare

Pipefish

Two species of pipefish are commonly found in the tidal regions and the coastal water, the great pipefish (up to 50 centimeters) and the lesser pipefish (up to 20 centimeters). The great pipefish is more common, often found in deep channels of tidal regions. Pipefish live primarily between seaweed and eelgrass, and therefore swim in pools on overgrown sea dikes and breakwaters. They suck up small crustaceans and fish larvae, via their mouths. Pipefish care for their brood: the males carry the eggs and the larvae (in June and July) in their brood-pouch.

  • Snake pipefish
    Snake pipefish, Ecomare

    The snake pipefish used to be rare in the North Sea but has been increasing rapidly. Sea birds along the English-Scottish rocky coasts even use dried specimen as nest material. The deep-snouted or broad-nosed pipefish disappeared from the Wadden Sea with the eelgrass.

  • Distribution
    Distribution of pipefish, Ecomare