Syngnatus tenuirostris (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: None.

Common names: Engl: Horse pipe fish; Russ: Tonkorylaya ryba-igla; Turk: Deniz ignesi.

Order (Scientific): SYNGNATHIFORMES.

Family (Scientific): SYNGNATHIDAE.

Taxonomic description: Pipefish with thin, elongated, body. Has a distinctive high, compressed, nose with a straight profile, with an almost vertically cut mouth at the extremity. Color varies from brown to greenish-brown.

IUCN Status:
    World level:
    Black Sea Regional level:
    Subregion level: LR

Distribution:

Habitats type, Critical habitats, Limiting factors: Infralittoral zone of the sea, most of time they lives among macroalgae. Near sea zones, macroalgae communities, close to Zostera from 1-2 metres to 35 cemtimetres. High pollution, oil spills, coastal fisheries, gill nets, eutrophication.

Biology: This species is herbivore, reproduction starts in spring and end of summer, eggs develop within 6-10 days.

Population trends: No information on the population trends.

Threats: Coastal fisheries, gill net fisheries, pollution.

Conservation measures taken: No particularl conservation measure has been taken.

Conservation measures proposed: Mitigating the gill net fisheries and pollution, protection of the Zostera belts.

References:

1. Slastenenko, E. 1955- 1956. The Fishes of the Black Sea Basin. General Directorate of the Meat and Fish Office. 705 pp. Istanbul, Turkey.

Compiled by: B. Öztürk.