PIPEFISH. A name given principally to species of the family Syngnathithe, but a1,0 ap plied to various other species which, like the above. have a long, tubular snout. The body is long, slender, and covered with bony firmly connected, so as to form a sort of cara pace. The tail is often long and slender, and sometimes is used as a prehensile organ. The fins are minute, the pectorals sometimes and the 'centrals always wanting. Their food consists of -mall marine animals and the eggs of fishes; and they may be seen slowly moving about, with curious contortions. poking the long snout into every crevice in search of food. and sometimes assuming a vertical position with the head down ward. poking into or stirring the sand. They abound along shore among the eel-grass. and when standing on their head, in the midst of it perfectly simulate one of the gently moving blades, and are thereby protected from observa tion. Like the sea-horse (9.v.), to which pipe
fishes are nearly related, the males have brood 'Handle, on the ventral side of the body, usually situated on the under side of the tail, but som•. farther anterior, formed by two folds of the skin meeting and coalescing in the median line. The young are carried in this pouch until some time after they have escaped from the egg, going out and returning when alarmed. but at last are turned loose by the pouch bursting,. There are about 15 genera and 150 species, small and sluggish, inhabiting the warmer some times entering fresh waters. The common pipe fish of the Athintie coast is Sip/log/wag f uscu in. Consult: Gunther. Introduction to the study of Fishes 1S801; Goode, merican Fishes (New York, IsS8).