Pipefish Comparisons

Pipefishes are somewhat confusing but if their heads are examined carefully it should be possible to identify each species. Until that is, something unexpected turns up!

Greater Pipefishes often hold their head at a slight angle to the next part of their body. Their nose is long and thin.

This pipefish has a  nose which is far shorter than that of either the Greater Pipefish or Nilsson’s Pipefish. Although it was originally thought to be a Nilsson’s Pipefish due to the short nose length, it has now been tentatively identified as the Black-striped Pipefish, Syngnathus abaster, but any additional information would be welcomed as this would be a very unusual record (and possibly the first UK record). Image from Llanbedrog, Gwynedd.

The nose of the Nilsson’s Pipefish is shorter and deeper than that of the Greater Pipefish.

The nose of the Snake Pipefish is shorter and deeper than that of the Greater Pipefish and its colour and body are substantially different too.

The broad nose of the Broad-nosed Pipefish is very distinctive.

A full view of the “Black-striped Pipefish?” from Llanbedrog.