CRITTER CONFIDENTIAL
Deep-snouted
( or broad-nosed ) pipefish
SCUBAHUB
Close-up , the profile of a deep-snouted pipefish is distinctive
Syngnathus typhle
‘
Hang
It takes a keen eye to spot this month ’ s Critter , a master / mistress of camouflage found in seagrass meadows
on , that blade of seagrass has an eye !’ has usually been my first reaction on the few occasions that I have spotted one of these marvellous animals . I then watch in amazement as the pipefish hovers vertically among the actual seagrass blades and typically attempts to blend discreetly into the leafy background .
As both its common names suggest , this species of pipefish has an unusual profile . It has no ‘ forehead ’ because its snout is the same depth as the rest of the head , and is flattened from side to side instead of being tubular like the snouts of other pipefish . That deep-snouted profile , along with an overall greenish colour , gives the superb camouflage . While other pipefish species are regularly found in seagrass , and deep-snouted pipefish can be spotted in other habitats , seagrass definitely seems to be their favourite .
As with all pipefish , if you take an ultra careful approach , you can be rewarded with the wonderful sight of one sneaking up on its prey of tiny planktonic crustaceans or fish fry , then sucking them in . Deep-snouted pipefish apparently consume more juvenile fish than their relatives . This could be linked to their different snout shape , or perhaps simply to the sheer abundance of fish fry in seagrass beds .
Deep-snouted pipefish conform to the amazing parental arrangements of other pipefish where the female lays her eggs into the belly pouch of a male , who broods them and then ‘ gives birth ’ to miniature baby pipefish a few weeks later . Fatherly care has even been observed to go up another notch in this species , with the babies going back into Dad ’ s pouch when danger threatens !
A good deal of research has also been done on the courtship of deep-snouted pipefish . Both sexes have several partners in each breeding season and are careful in selecting their breeding partners . Because males put so much effort into caring for their offspring , they are particularly choosy and prefer larger females that produce more and bigger eggs . The fussy fathers also try to avoid females that carry a parasite , which shows as black spots and reduces female fertility ; researchers even showed the same effect with spots made from tattoo ink ! Females are similar in preferring large males , with presumably better brooding abilities , but I think my favourite finding is that if they end up ‘ making do ’ with a smaller male , they compensate by laying eggs that contain more protein .
I am continually amazed by the complexity of the natural world , even in animals regarded as relatively simple or dismissed as ‘ just fish ’, and will certainly bear this intrigue in mind next time I spot a blade of seagrass with an eye ! �
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