Fish of the Nerophis genus of the Syngnathinae (pipefishes) subfamily of the Syngnathidae family of the Syngnathiformes order of the Acanthopterygii superorder.
(Spotted pipefish. Photo by © Stefano Guerrieri. naturamediterraneo.com)
Spotted pipefish (Nerophis maculatus) was first described in 1810 by the American naturalist, zoologist and botanist Constantine Rafinesque (1783-1840).
It inhabits the coastal zone near the bottom. The maximum recorded length is 30 cm. It feeds on zooplankton and small crustaceans.
(Spotted pipefish. Photo by © Xavier Salvador. flickr.com/photos/115395428@N06)
It is a permanent inhabitant of the Adriatic Sea. It is a rare species.
Names of spotted pipefish (Nerophis maculatus) in other languages as follows:
Serpetуn (Spanish), Pesce ago macchiato (Italian), Gefleckte Seenadel (German),Wężynka plamista (Polish), Oblokljuno šilo (Serbian, Croatian), Kuyruksuzdeniziğnesi balığı (Turkish), Nérophis tacheté (French).