bay pipefish
Syngnathus leptorhynchus
Pipefish of bays and estuaries, from Alaska to Mexico, with a long, thin body that reaches 32.5 cm. It has no interest for rod fishing.
Also called: peixe-pipa-da-baía, pez pipa de bahía, Bay pipefish
- maximum
- 32 cm
- depth
- 0–5 m
who is the bay pipefish
The family Syngnathidae includes the pipefishes and seahorses, with a body covered in plates and a tubular snout. Males reach 32.5 cm, and females, which are larger, reach 38.5 cm. The species lives in the eastern Pacific, from Alaska to southern Baja California, in Mexico, in shallow bays and estuaries, among seagrass, from 0 to 5 m. It feeds on crustaceans, and it is the male that carries the eggs in a pouch under the tail. It is taken in commercial fishing and for public aquariums, but has no interest for sport fishing.
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 bay pipefish.
fun facts
- During reproduction, the female coils around the male in an S shape, and the eggs are fertilized in the male's pouch.
identification
Long, thin, straight body, with a tubular snout and covered in plates, like other pipefishes. It does not have the curved shape of seahorses. It lives among seagrass in bays and estuaries, sometimes in shallow water close to shore. Females are larger than males.
Loading the next 7 days…
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
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Alaska to southern Baja California, in bays, estuaries and shallow waters. In Latin America it is recorded from Mexico. There are no records off the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Seagrass of bays and estuaries, from 0 to 5 m, sometimes in shallow water close to shore.
rules for the bay 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.
Harmless to anglers. Handle little and return it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00026, b = 3.19; 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 leptorhynchus (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 leptorhynchusNames by country and language.