Head to head
Greater Pipefish vs Seahorse
Greater Pipefish
VS Seahorse
The greater pipefish and the seahorse are close relatives in the same family, sharing a bony armour, a tube-like snout, and a pregnant father, but they look very different.
| Greater Pipefish | Seahorse | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Syngnathus acus | Hippocampus kuda |
| Relationship | A close relative of the seahorse, in the same family | A close relative of the pipefish, in the same family |
| Body shape | A long, thin, rigid body of bony rings, often 30 to 45 cm long, usually green or brown | A short, upright body of bony rings, around 17 to 30 cm for this species, with a bent neck and a horse-like head |
| Tail | A straight tail that ends in a small tail fin | A prehensile tail with no fin, used to anchor to seagrass, coral, and other seahorses |
| Feeding | Sucks up small crustaceans, fish larvae, and tiny fish through its tube-like snout | Sucks in tiny crustaceans such as copepods and mysid shrimp whole |
| Carrying the eggs | The female passes her eggs to the male, who carries them on the underside of his body until they hatch | The female deposits her eggs into the male's brood pouch, where he gestates them |
| Habitat | Seagrass and seaweed beds of the north-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea | Seagrass beds, mangroves, estuaries, and coral rubble in shallow Indo-Pacific waters |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, though dependent on seagrass and seaweed beds | Vulnerable |
Greater Pipefish vs Seahorse: common questions
Is a pipefish related to a seahorse?
Yes, they are close relatives in the same family, sharing a bony armour, a small tube-like mouth, and a male that carries the eggs.
Which one has a pouch?
The seahorse, whose male carries the eggs in a brood pouch, while the male pipefish carries his eggs on the underside of his body.
Which one grips with its tail?
The seahorse, which has a prehensile tail with no fin, used to anchor to seagrass, coral, and other seahorses.