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Size
4.7 inches (12 cm) -
Diet
Pelagic invertebrates and bottom invertebrates -
Range
Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean, as well as the Indo-West Pacific -
Habitat
Between seabeds and midwater on the continental shelf
Physical Characteristics
- Adults commonly grow to 4.7 inches (12 cm) and can reach a 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. The mouth is at the tip of the snout.
- The second dorsal spine is long and serrated.
Animal Fun Fact
The longspine snipefish has a long snout that makes up about one-quarter of its body length.
Diet / Feeding
- Juveniles feed on pelagic invertebrates.
- Adults prey on bottom invertebrates.
Range / Habitat
- Occurs in temperate waters in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as the Indo-West Pacific.
- Found between seabeds and midwater on the lower continental shelf over sandy bottoms at depths to 2,000 feet (610 m), though most commonly found between 165-1,200 feet (50-366 m).
- Adults normally live near the bottom while juveniles occupy near-surface waters.
Reproduction & Growth
- Oviparous; produces 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.
