sargassum pipefish
Syngnathus pelagicus
Thin, long fish that lives among the sargassum weed floating in the sea, and whose male carries the eggs under its tail.
Also called: agulha-do-mar, pez pipa oceánico, sargassum pipefish
- maximum
- 21 cm
who is the sargassum pipefish
Fish of the family Syngnathidae, a relative of the seahorses, with a long body and a long, thin snout, reaching 21.2 cm. It lives associated with sargassum weed floating in the sea. It is ovoviviparous: the male carries the eggs in a pouch under the tail, from which the young emerge. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Maine, USA, to Argentina, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It has commercial fishing, but is not a target of recreational fishing and almost never turns up on the angler's line.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the sargassum pipefish.
identification
Very long, thin body, with a long, narrow snout. Like the other pipefish of the family Syngnathidae, it is covered by bony rings rather than ordinary scales. The male has a pouch under the tail where it carries the eggs. To recognize it, look for a thin, long fish among the sargassum weed floating in the sea.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
In Latin America it occurs in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, in coastal and shelf waters.
Habitat: Sea, associated with the sargassum weed floating on the surface.
rules for the sargassum pipefish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It poses no danger to the angler, and is almost never caught on rod and line.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00054, b = 3.2; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Syngnathus pelagicus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Syngnathus pelagicusNames by country and language.