In salty seas and oceans, as well as freshwater bodies, you can find very interesting fish, with a long and needle-thin body, and an elongated snout. Its body is covered with bone plates that look like a hexagon. The head is decorated with a small scallop. The color can be completely different and depends on the habitat. There are individuals of brown-green and red-brown colors, with many light transverse stripes. This is a needle fish, which can be a little more than 20 cm in length and weighs 5 kg. Her life expectancy is 5 years.

The needlefish prefers shallow water areas with lush vegetation. During the spawning period, the needlefish can enter freshwater bodies of water. It is found in the same Dnieper, and at a considerable distance from the sea. Freshwater fish do not change their habitat and are constantly in the same body of water. The needlefish feeds on bottom larvae, worms, crustaceans, plankton, and small fish. Its fry consume exclusively plankton. The fish's vision is very good, which helps it quickly find food.

Spawns from May to June. During the mating season, the female lays eggs not on seaweed, but in the male’s pouch, which is located on his tail. Fertilization also occurs there. In total, no more than 100 eggs are laid. In this case, the male’s pouch may simultaneously contain eggs from different females. In total, during the mating season, the female can lay three portions of eggs, each containing 20 eggs.

The eggs located in the male's pouch do not come into contact with external environment. The embryos are nourished by their blood. The needle fish larvae are in the male’s pouch until August. After this period, the placenta with the fry is separated from the bag and enters the water.

Igloo fish can be found in the Black, Caspian, and Azov seas. Its dwarf form lives in salty bays. Freshwater pipefish are found on the Volga, Dnieper and Terek. It also exists in the Kuibyshev Reservoir. Maybe, freshwater fish enter large reservoirs from the lower reaches of rivers. This fact is confirmed by the fact that the needle appeared in the reservoirs of Kuban.

Needle fish has no nutritional value. Its natural enemies are predatory fish.

Nature populated the earth and sea ​​waters the most unusual creatures. Human mind comes to amazement at all the diversity and complexity of organisms that exist on earth.

How many extraordinary representatives depths of the sea familiar to man. Often people want to tame a piece of nature and keep it close to them. The needlefish is one of the most interesting species that lives in the depths of the sea and thrives in home aquariums. These aquatic animals are worth getting to know better. What needle fish looks like, where it lives, how it reproduces, you will learn from this article.

Habitats

The needle fish belongs to the needle fish family and lives mainly in the Black, Azov, Aral, Caspian and Baltic seas. Scientists distinguish two types of these fish: serpentine and ordinary. The former are characterized by a very thin and long body, as well as the absence of a tail and pectoral fins. Common pipefish have fins. Among this species, subspecies are distinguished: thick-snouted and thin-snouted representatives.

Most close relative- sea Horse. Some subspecies can cling to grass and algae with their tails during strong currents.

The needle fish hunts in schools on small fish that swim closer to the surface of the water. Often representatives of needles jump out of the water into the moonlight at night. But sometimes fish have to go deeper to get plankton.

Appearance

The needlefish is very thin and relatively long. Due to their resemblance to the object of the same name, these aquatic animals got their name. They are often compared to a hexagonal pencil. They move vertically, which gives them additional advantages in camouflage among algae. Nature gave these fish a very colorful coloring, matching the algae and corals, so that they could hide from the eyes of predators. By the way, their color, like that of chameleons, adapts to the environment.

The entire long body of the fish consists of bony plates, usually hexagonal. But there are subspecies in which hexagonal plates smoothly turn into tetrahedral ones.

The muzzle is elongated and occupies a significant part of the head. The mouth of these fish is small, tube-shaped. They use it to suck up food like a vacuum cleaner. The eyes can look in different directions at the same time.

Pipefish have a greenish-brown or reddish-brown color, which may vary slightly depending on the environment.

These babies grow quite slowly, their maximum age is 6 years. A one-year-old fish is considered an adult and is ready to reproduce.

Reproduction

The reproduction process of these inhabitants of the deep sea is very unusual and interesting. Nature obliged the male to bear offspring. During ritual courtship, the female transfers the eggs to the male into a “bag”, which is located in the abdominal cavity, closer to the tail. Upon transmission, the eggs are fertilized. About a hundred eggs are placed in the bag, and this number can accumulate from different females. It would be fair to note that the male independently chooses whose eggs to accept and whose not. In one season, the female can lay three portions of eggs.

Nutrients pass from the father to the eggs through blood vessels. The male carries the eggs in the pouch until the fry hatch. So that they can get out, the needle fish bends in an arc and opens the “chamber”. But if danger arises, the fry can again find protection in their father's pouch.

The needle fish is very friendly towards humans and does not consider them an enemy at all. You can often see these representatives of the fauna in home aquariums.

If you have a desire to have such a fish, it is worth remembering some features of its maintenance:

1. It moves vertically, so the aquarium should not be small or low. The optimal volume is 300 liters.
2. If you are interested in the offspring of these amazing fish, you need to purchase a pair.
3. This fish is a predator, so the neighbors in the aquarium should not be smaller in size, otherwise they will turn into food.
4. It is recommended to put sand on the bottom of the aquarium, and the presence of algae and stones will not interfere.
5. At least a third of the water volume should be changed weekly; fish tolerate fresh water well, so no additional sophistication is needed.
6. During the period of gestation, you should especially carefully monitor the food of the fish.

Economic importance

IN Russian seas there are enough representatives of the needle family. The most common needlefish is the Black Sea needlefish. It is also called Italian or small needle fish. The longest representatives live in the waters of the Black Sea, their body size reaches 23 centimeters. But it is not of particular interest: it is not used as human food, and there is also better bait for fishing. Most often it is taken away by tourists as a souvenir or trophy. Because of its slowness and desire to be closer to people, it often falls into the hands of vacationers.

Today there is a significant desalination of needlefish. And although there are 120 species of needles, not so long ago the thin-snouted and thick-snouted ones were included in the Red Book.

The sea needle fish has an elongated, narrow, needle-shaped body; various species reach sizes from 2.5 to 30 centimeters. They have a narrow, long jaw with sharp teeth, which are worth remembering when cleaning the aquarium. The fins are usually small and located close to the tail. It is believed that fish change color depending on their habitat: the body is painted in bright green, red, brown and gray shades or becomes spotted on a white background. Males differ from females by a black edging in the rear and dorsal fins, as well as a red belly.

Eaglefish are caught along the coasts of Europe from Norway to the Black Sea. The fish prefer to live in coastal thickets, without swimming far into desalinated waters. On the other side of the mainland, Japanese and coastal needle fish live in the Sea of ​​Japan. Life expectancy is 2-3 years.

The needlefish is a predator whose aquarium neighbors will be species of a similar size with a calm character. Neighboring fish that are too lively will also begin to take food from the needles. Pipefish like to jump out of the water, jumping vertically. Cover the aquarium with a special lid. A 300-liter aquarium will be enough to keep three individuals. If you plan to breed needle fish, then pairs are selected.

Comfortable parameters: water temperature 24-25°C, pH 8.1-8.3, density 1.021-1.024, potassium less than 10 ppm total NO3, dissolved oxygen 6 ppm, calcium 400-450 ppm. Effective biological filtration and aeration are required. Change water 15-20% every two weeks with water of the same quality, temperature and salinity. Lighting is moderate, dim. Fine sand as soil. At the bottom, build shelters from stones, driftwood, create crevices, caves.

Feeding needle fish

For adults sea ​​fish The needles are fed to fish, frogs, shrimp, tadpoles, nauplii, and planktonic crustaceans as food. Having noticed prey, the needlefish takes aim for a couple of seconds, then sharply swallows the prey, creating negative pressure in the oral cavity like a vacuum cleaner. The victim is pulled into the oral cavity from a distance of 4 cm.

Converting pipefish from live food to frozen seafood is difficult. Therefore, it is always necessary to have a large amount of brine shrimp. In such a diet, there will be a lack of minerals and vitamins, which is replenished with live daphnia, coretra and bloodworms. Under natural conditions, needlefish feed on plankton; in an aquarium, needlefish are fed 4-5 times a day.


Latin name Syngnathus.

Comes from South-East Asia. The habitat extends from Pakistan and India further east to Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Wild populations were brought to the islands of Hawaii, where they successfully took root.
They inhabit slow-moving rivers and streams, swamps. During the rainy season, as the water level rises, they swim into faster rivers, artificial and irrigation canals. They prefer dimly lit places with dense coastal vegetation.

Brief information:

• Aquarium volume - from 500 l.
• Temperature - 22–28°C
• pH value - 6.0–8.0
• Water hardness - soft to medium hard (2–15 dGH)
• Substrate type - any
• Lighting - dim
• Brackish water - no
• Water movement - weak/moderate
• Fish size - up to 35 cm.
• Food - live and fresh food
• Temperament - peaceful
• Keeping in a group of 3–4 individuals

Description

Adults reach a length of up to 35 cm. Characteristic feature species is the structure of the body - very thin and very elongated. Thanks to this shape, the fish received one of its names “Silver Needle”. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to distinguish a male from a female. In males, the dorsal and anal fins have a black border. In addition, during the mating season, a small hump grows behind the head, lower jaw acquires a reddish tint, and the abdomen becomes yellow-gold.

Nutrition

Predator, feeds in nature small fish and insects. IN home aquarium Adults should be fed strips of fish meat, shrimp, mussels, large earthworms, flies, crickets and other insects. Young specimens can be content with small earthworms and pieces of shrimp.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The optimal size of a tank for 3-4 fish starts from 500 liters, the depth should be at least 30 cm. The design should include dense clusters of plants placed along the walls of the aquarium, thus preserving free areas for swimming. The lighting is dim. The presence of plants floating on the surface and hanging over the water is welcome. Because they serve additional means shading, then in this case it will be necessary to increase the brightness of the light. Other decorative elements and soil are selected at the discretion of the aquarist.
A productive filtration system is mandatory when keeping predatory species. In addition to the power of the filter, you should pay attention to what and how the purified water is returned. Depending on the models and types of filters, water is returned different ways, some create excess flow. In the case of Freshwater Spinefish, internal current should be minimal.
High quality water is also maintained by its weekly change (20–30% of volume) and regular removal of organic waste from the surface of the substrate and decorative elements.

Behavior and Compatibility

Predatory, but not aggressive species. The garfish is able to get along with other calm fish that are large enough to fit into its mouth. It is worth avoiding the settlement of overly active and restless species, such as Barbs. There are no intraspecific conflicts. It prefers to stay in a small flock of three to four individuals.

Breeding/reproduction

Breeding pipefish in a home aquarium is difficult due to the need to recreate the changes in habitat conditions that occur in nature. Mating season occurs from May to September, when large amounts of precipitation falls in Southeast Asia, changing the hydrochemical composition of the water and lowering its temperature. The female lays several eggs daily, attaching them to the flooded vegetation with thin adhesive threads. Incubation period lasts from 7 to 10 days. The hatched fry feed on zooplankton. As they grow older, larger fish may eat their smaller counterparts.

Needlefish (representative of the Needlefish family) - interesting view fish living in the depths of the Black and Azov seas. Has a characteristic long shape. They lead a similar lifestyle and reproduction with seahorses.

Scientists have concluded that more than 10 million years ago, pipefish acquired a protective color and began to move vertically due to the formation of shallow waters in Pacific Ocean. They got their name from their characteristic appearance, resembling a long needle. Their length is no more than half a meter. Due to lack large quantity fins, pipefish do not swim very fast. Some species hold onto algae with their tails during strong currents. This also helps them camouflage themselves from predators.

The needle fish has the ability to take on the desired color during approaching danger, like a chameleon. No teeth. The body is covered with hard plates. It is found in gray-green and brown shades.

Lifestyle

Habitat is salty or fresh water. Fish live in rocks and coral reefs, preferring not to go deeper than 10 meters. Feeds small crustaceans, shrimp, plankton.

They are food for dolphins and larger predators.

Reproduction

Pipefish spawn in early summer. To do this, some species move to freshwater bodies. The method of raising babies is the same as for seahorses. The female lays eggs, and until they hatch, they are guarded by the male in a special pouch. Small fry also prefer to stay close male. The fish lives up to three years.

Some species spend their lives with one partner, but mostly active females lay eggs from different males.

Fishing

Fishermen are not particularly interested in needlefish. They prey on larger sea creatures, although needlefish also sometimes get hooked. Using it as bait is also not very convenient.

Sometimes this type of fish is served in expensive restaurants as a delicacy.