Pipefish gets its name from its long, slim body, which looks like a tube or pipe. The pipefishes form a group of about 230 species of fishes. Most of them live in temperate and warm seas. A few species live in fresh water. Pipefishes are relatives of the seahorse. The body of a pipefish is covered with bony plates. Certain kinds of pipefishes may grow 24 inches (61 centimeters) long. The long snout ends in a small, narrow, toothless mouth.
Male pipefishes have an unusual pouch on the abdomen in which they carry the eggs. The female fish places the eggs in this pouch, where they hatch. The young pipefishes remain in the pouch until they can care for themselves and are able to leave.
