Straightnose pipefish

Conservation status: endangered

A small fish with a stiletto-shaped body, resembling a large worm or small eel. A close relative of the seahorse and several species of sea needles that live in the Black Sea. Sticking to coastal stretches where it prefers underwater seagrass meadows. It wraps its tail to their stems and resembles a seagrass leaf. Thus camouflaged, it stalks its victims - zooplankton and small crustaceans. The female lays the eggs on the male's abdomen, who cares for them until the young hatch. Because the female must court the male, they are usually more brightly colored and develop decorative skin folds on the body to attract the male's attention.