Nature inhabited the seas and oceans with amazing creatures, which sometimes seem unearthly and unreal. For example, a fish pipe (see photo below).
An amazing creature of an unusual form, about which we know practically nothing. The flute-snout family includes only four species that belong to the same genus. And all of them are owners of an unusual appearance.
What does a pipe fish look like?
To begin with, this fish is known by several names, including flute and whistle. And all thanks to the unusual shape. The body is elongated and round, disproportionately long head and jaws (make up almost 1/3 of the entire length) end with a tube-shaped mouth, slightly flattened, which really looks like a flute. The average length is 50-70 cm, and individual individuals reach one and a half meters. The body is covered with small ctenoid scales (thin, translucent and round in shape with serrations on the outer edge). The color is most often bright, typical for the inhabitants of warm waters - green or yellow, less often brown or red. There may be streaks or spots along the body. In addition, the fish pipe has the ability to change color under the influence of external stimuli.
Acquaintance with this fish is often associated with a holiday in the resorts, when tourists inspired by the unprecedented diversity of the inhabitants of the sea decide to go scuba diving. And their attention is attracted by this slightly strange, but very beautiful fish.
What does it eat?
The specific appearance and structure of the body also determine the methods of nutrition. Pipe fish lives in the coastal zone and hunts near coral reefs alone or in small schools. The main diet is small crustaceans and fish, cephalopods and arthropods. She easily captures them among the reefs. It is believed that she uses two tactics for hunting. The first method: hiding behind a larger fish, and at the right time rushes to the victim, often clinging to it with the help of fins, which, incidentally, are quite poorly developed. Therefore, a fish-pipe cannot gain high speed to chase a victim. The second way is that it simply freezes in an upright position, merging with the environment. When prey appears in range, it immediately pounces on it. Her mouth is the same in shape as a regular pipe. This fish also uses in a peculiar way, in an upright position upside down she, like a pig, digs in the silt in search of food.
Leads an inactive lifestyle, which is primarily due to the structure of the body, but it is perfectly masked in corals and algae.
Where does it live?
The habitat is wide enough - it is the Pacific and Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea. Pipe fish is an inhabitant of coastal waters in the region of 150 m and at a depth of about one hundred meters. Most often, she peacefully waits for her prey among reefs or rocks. It is edible and has good taste, and therefore, for example, is used in Japanese national cuisine.
Chinese flute fish
This is one of the three species of flute-snout family. Its habitat is the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Maldives and Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. The body length is about 60 cm. The maximum length of individual individuals is 70-80 cm. Color varies from pure yellow to green or brown with various spots. Her face is like a pipe. A fish can open its mouth to sizes comparable to its body diameter. Dorsal and anal fins transparent, marked with a black stripe at the very root. This single inhabitant of warm waters eats either fish or shrimp, as a rule, choosing any one type of food. He prefers to hide and disguise himself in natural shelters, closer to the bottom.
Common trumpet fish
This is a typical representative of the family flute-snout from the order needle-shaped. The fish reaches an average size of about 70 centimeters. It lives along the coast of Florida and Bermuda to the north of South America. Ordinary fish pipe has a body and mouth structure characteristic of the whole family, which is able to stretch quite widely and allows you to capture medium-sized fish. Very often they are found in aquariums.
