Alligator pipefish hunts for lunch

Alligator pipefish are rarely seen, despite their size. Even more remarkable is to follow one as it searches for something to eat. Yet that happened one day in Gorontalo – and we have the video to prove it!

A Mangrove Seed or a Blade of Grass

The Alligator pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) has a long, slender body that mimics a blade of seagrass. Some divers could also mistake it for a floating seed of a mangrove tree. Its body is usually green or brown. This camouflage helps it blend into its habitats. These include seagrass beds, mangroves, and estuaries. Predators and divers have difficulty recognizing one, even though it can grow quite large – up to 50 centimeters in length!

Most pipefish have paddle-like tails. But not Syngnathoides biaculeatus. Its body tapers to a point. That earns it the common name “Double-Ended Pipefish.” However, most divers call it the Alligator or Crocodile pipefish. Although it lacks a true prehensile tail like seahorses, it can bend its tail to form a hook. This allows the fish to hook onto something on the sea floor and remain motionless.

One Hungry Alligator Pipefish

One day in Gorontalo, we made our safety stop in a sandy area. Suddenly, one of our dive masters waved excitedly. He pointed to something floating motionless above the sand. It was an adult Alligator pipefish, measuring about 20 centimeters. While other divers relaxed and lunched above in our dive boat, we grabbed a video camera and followed the pipefish around.

The pipefish ignored us as it slowly surveyed the area. Soon, we noticed it was actually searching for something to eat. First, it swam across the seagrass bed, then among some coral boulders, and finally among clumps of dead Turbinweed. With the noonday sun beating down, it finally spied something to eat.  

Syngnathoides biaculeatus Inhales its Food

The Alligator pipefish uses its elongated snout to suck in tiny prey. It likes to eat mysid shrimp and copepods. While on the hunt, a pipefish moves slowly through the water, probing and looking. When it spots prey, it quickly sucks it into its snout with a powerful vacuum-like motion. We caught all of this in our video.

Although we have seen this pipefish since the initial encounter, we cannot know how long it will stay. For your chance to see unusual marine life in Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.