The snake pipefish is a long, thin, snake-like fish with a seahorse-like head and a long snout. The only Sussex record on the Glaucus page is off Worthing Pier in June 2000, marked as a rare record. British boat record: none listed.
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About the snake pipefish
The snake pipefish is a long, thin, snake-like fish with a seahorse-like head and a long snout. Look for the pale blue rings edged in black along the body. It is harmless. Males grow to about 40 cm and females to about 45 cm, though most British fish seen are 25 to 40 cm. This is an open-sea pipefish, found among kelp and other seaweed, and often seen far offshore. It is not an angling fish at all. If one turns up, it is usually tangled in kelp, bait or prawn nets rather than hooked. On the Glaucus page, most live sightings and catches fall from about July to October, while many strandings are from December to April. Numbers have boomed and crashed in recent years. It is listed only on the mini-species page of the British Record Fish Committee, with no separate boat or shore record, so there is no boat record to chase. The only Sussex record on the Glaucus page is a rare one off Worthing Pier in June 2000.
On the boat
The snake pipefish is not an angling fish. It is occasionally tangled in kelp, bait or prawn nets, and it is often seen far offshore. Most live sightings and catches are from about July to October on the Glaucus page. The sources give no Sussex months or methods, so we cannot say when or how one might turn up off Sussex.
British boat-caught record
None listed
No British boat-caught record is listed for this species, and it is not a confirmed or claimed boat record. It appears only on the British Record Fish Committee mini-species page, which has no boat and shore split. The mini-species record is T A Evans, Menai Straits, Anglesey, 1987.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
Harmless. Numbers have boomed and crashed in recent years. It is not an angling fish, so if one is found tangled in kelp or a net, handle it gently and return it. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Many snake pipefish strandings are reported between December and April, while most live sightings and catches come from about July to October, according to the Glaucus page.
Questions about the snake pipefish
What is the British boat-caught record for snake pipefish?
No British boat-caught record is listed for this species, and it is not a confirmed or claimed boat record. It appears only on the British Record Fish Committee mini-species page, which has no boat and shore split. The mini-species record is T A Evans, Menai Straits, Anglesey, 1987.
Is snake pipefish caught off the Sussex coast?
Yes. The only Sussex record on the Glaucus page is off Worthing Pier in June 2000, marked as a rare record.
When is the best time to catch snake pipefish?
Around Britain: Most live sightings and catches from about July to October on the Glaucus page; many strandings from December to April. Our sources give no months for Sussex.
How big does a snake pipefish get?
Males about 40 cm, females about 45 cm; most British fish seen are 25 to 40 cm.
Sources
- British Marine Life Study Society: snake pipefish: glaucus.org.uk
- Wikipedia: snake pipefish: en.wikipedia.org
- BRFC sea fish records, June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Bernard Picton, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
