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Size
4.7 inches (12 cm) -
Diet
Pelagic invertebrates and bottom invertebrates -
Range
Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as the Indo-West Pacific -
Habitat
Between seabed and midwater on the lower continental shelf over sandy bottom
Physical Characteristics
- Adult commonly grows to 4.7 inches (12 cm) and reaches maximum length of about 7.8 inches (20 cm).
- Oval-shaped, compressed rigid body with scutes on the underside.
- Coloration is reddish-pink fading to silvery below.
- Has a long snout that makes up about one-quarter of its body length. Mouth is at tip of snout.
- Second dorsal spine is long and serrated.
Animal Fact
The longspine snipefish has a long snout that makes up about one-quarter of its body length. Its mouth is at the tip of the snout.
Diet / Feeding
- Juvenile feeds on pelagic invertebrates.
- Adult preys on bottom invertebrates.
Range / Habitat
- Occurs in temperate waters in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as the Indo-West Pacific.
- Found between seabed and midwater on the lower continental shelf over sandy bottom at depths ranging 82-1968 feet (25-600 m), though most commonly 164-1148 feet (50-350 m)
- Adult normally lives near the bottom while juvenile occupies near-surface waters.
Reproduction & Growth
- Oviparous; produce eggs outside the body to hatch.
Conservation Status
- “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.
Additional Information
- Member of the Sygnathid family and related to seahorses and sea dragons.
- Populations in the North Atlantic believed to spawn in the winter months.
- Preyed upon by a range of bony fish, sharks and rays.
