Trumpet Fish 341 



Color: Variable according to surroundings; gray, yellow, 

 or brown mottled with darker and paler markings. 

 Distribution: Occurs from South Carolina to Cape Cod 

 and as a straggler to Nova Scotia. 

 Size: Maximum length recorded is 71/2 inches. 

 General Information: The Northern Sea Horse is found 

 in dense vegetation in protected areas along our shores. It 

 is often found clinging by its flexible tail to the netting of 

 commercial fish traps and eel pots. It breeds in summer, 

 and as in the case of the pipefishes the male carries the 

 developing eggs in a pouch. The young are ^^-Vi inch 

 long at birth and resemble the adults in appearance. As 

 many as 150 young may be born at one time. Unlike the 

 pipefishes the sea horses have a flexible, prehensile tail 

 which they use to hold on to vegetation, branches, and 

 other objects in the water. The food of the Northern Sea 

 Horse consists mostly of small crustaceans and other small 

 animals. 



Economic Importance: Sea horses are in considerable de- 

 mand by the salt-water aquarists. 



Trumpet Fish 

 Fistularia tabacaria Linnaeus 



IS 



W 



Color: Greenish brown above; lower surface silvery; back 



and sides have 10 dark crossbars and large pale blue spots. 



Tail filament deep blue. 



Distribution: A tropical species, ranging from Brazil to 



Cape Cod and as a stray to Nova Scotia. Common in the 



West Indies. 



Size: Reaches a length of 6 feet in the West Indies but 



northern specimens are usually under one foot. 



General Information: Little is known about this species. 



