Nemichthys scolopaceus

Becky Hitchin After my last juvenile fish ID disaster, I think I'll just ask for the real ID this time :) Tiny fish, the circle is about 1/2 cm diameter. From Seasalter, Kent, on an oyster shell

Erling Svensen Strange. It looks like the Nemichthys scolopaceus, but we have only two observations in Norway and I have seen one of these dead. It looks like, but I am not sure. They grow to 1,5 meter long.

Erling Svensen Oh, it can also be a member of je Syngnathidae family, like the Syngnathus rostellatus. This is prob. more relevant.

Andy Horton Worm Pipefish Nerophis lumbriciformishttp://www.glaucus.org.uk/Pipefish.htm

Becky Hitchin Last time I tried to ID a juvenile Syngnathus and got it entirely wrong :)

Erling Svensen Andy, it looks like this pipefish have a tail, and the one you suggested do not, sorry..... ;-)

Becky Hitchin so that leaves S. acus (also S. typhle or S. rostellatus - but no records for either in Kent)

Erling Svensen If it is tail, I agree. If not I agree to Andy. http://uwphoto.no/shopexd.asp?id=833

Andy Horton There seems to be Nerophis lumbriciformis now occasionally found on Sussex shores coinciding with the return of the Oysters.

Becky Hitchin let me check on my other photos ...

Becky Hitchin We do get a lot of acus, but I don't think any rostellatus. I'll have to check the database on Monday. I wonder if they are distinguishable at this size

Andy Horton I compared Nerophis (Worm Pipefish) with rostellus (Lesser Pipefish). The latter it is not. This used to be the commonest pipefish off Sussex by a lot, but I have not found any for over 20 years. The head is much longer.

Becky Hitchin Rachel Coppock Weston - this time I really found a baby pipefish! :)

Andy Horton I have seen them swimming smaller than this. They slip easily through the shrimp net. Worm Pipefish replacing Lesser Pipefish off Sussex ??? A sign of plankton changes causing by an increasing sea temperature ???

Becky Hitchin From Erling's page on juvenile fishes, I'd say it looks most like S. acus http://avkrokenfiske.com/konk06/Syacu_l0.gif

Douglas Herdson I would go with Nerophis lumbriciformis. The snout is too short for much else. I think the "caudal fin" is an artefact produced by parts being hidden by the rough surface it is lying on. All the Syngnathus spp. have a hard heptagonal cross-section as adults, which this one does not appear to have; even one I saw at about 2 cm appeared like the adult.

David Wilson Don't know what it is but it just doesn't look like a worm pipefish to me.

Becky Hitchin It definitely didn't have a hard outside like Syngnathus, it was much smoother and pliabl