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pipefish

American  
[pahyp-fish] / ˈpaɪpˌfɪʃ /

noun

  • pipefish,
    plural
  • pipefishes
    plural
  1. any elongated, marine and sometimes freshwater fish species of the family Syngnathidae, having a tubular snout and covered with bony plates.


pipefish British  
/ ˈpaɪpˌfɪʃ /

noun

  1. Also called: needlefish. any of various teleost fishes of the genera Nerophis, Syngnathus, etc, having a long tubelike snout and an elongated body covered with bony plates: family Syngnathidae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of pipefish

First recorded in 1760–70; pipe 1 + fish


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Many animals, like the sargassum pipefish, the sargassum slug, and the sargassum frogfish, have bodies that resemble in pattern, color, and shape the brown tendrils of seaweed.

From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2023

The pipefish looks like a seagrass leaf - and for this reason, some prawns merge with its body, thinking they are leaves that move.

From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2022

My back garden is gin-clear water – pipefish and turtles my nosy neighbours.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 4, 2018

Like sea horses, pygmy pipehorses have a prehensile tail, but swim horizontally like pipefish.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 1, 2011

The researchers studied Gulf pipefish, which have a brood pouch that is nearly transparent, enabling the embryos to be monitored as they develop.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2010

In some species exhibiting MSS, like certain pipefishes, males play a substantial role in parental care and hence need to be choosy about the qualities of the individual providing the eggs.

From Scientific American ● Jan. 5, 2012

Both sea horses and pipefishes employ the tilt-and-slurp technique, known as pivot feeding.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 1, 2011

Sea horses, however, do not pursue their prey as pipefishes do, so the reach of their necks is an important determinant of their hunting success.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 1, 2011

Sea horses evolved from long, narrow swimmers similar to pipefishes.

From Scientific American ● Feb. 1, 2011

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