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Elegant pipefish (Nannocampus elegans) — Syngnathidae

Elegant pipefish

Nannocampus elegans
Family: Syngnathidae

The Elegant pipefish (Nannocampus elegans) is a saltwater fish of the family Syngnathidae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
12 cm
Water
Saltwater
Diet
Carnivore
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Algae or seagrass meadow
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Elegant pipefish is a small pipefish (Syngnathidae) from shallow reef and seagrass water of coastal waters of Australia. The species grows to about 8 cm and has a thin, bony-ringed, brown-greenish body and a tubular snout. Strongly camouflaged, it lives among coral rubble, weed and seagrass and sucks in small zooplankton. The male carries the eggs. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Elegant pipefish?

The Elegant pipefish has a snake-like body and is mainly green.

Where does the Elegant pipefish live?

The Elegant pipefish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around algae or seagrass beds.

How big does the Elegant pipefish get?

The Elegant pipefish grows to a maximum of about 12 cm.

Is the Elegant pipefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Elegant pipefish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sierlijke dwerg-zeenaald sourced
English name
Elegant pipefish sourced
Scientific name
Nannocampus elegans
Family
Syngnathidae
Other names
Elegant pipefish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
12.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Green sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Beak-shaped sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Algae or seagrass meadow sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Nannocampus

More from the family Syngnathidae

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