Sea needle in the Sea of ​​Azov. Needle fish: beneficial properties, use in cooking

The Black Sea is a place of accumulation of living organisms that lead an aggressive lifestyle. Large predators eat small predators. How to survive in this world if nature has deprived you sharp teeth, long spines, poisonous tentacles? Not tall and strong, you have to rely on the ability to camouflage among the surrounding environment. Today we will talk about a sea creature that disguises itself as long sandy threads of algae. The pipefish is the hero of our story. Over time, evolution has made amazing changes to the body of the fish, which allow it to exist in the aggressive underwater world.

Appearance

The needle fish got its name because of its disproportionately elongated body, reminiscent of a needle or pike. The body is not compressed laterally; upon closer examination, edges are visible. The igloo fish could also be called a floating pencil. The body has small dorsal and pectoral fins, and a small crest is located on the top of the head. The shape of the fins does not allow the needle to travel long distances.

Snout with a long nose and a small mouth. The color of the fish changes depending on the color of the external environment. In Anapa, on sandbanks, the needle has a light green, almost transparent outfit; if a current or storm carries the fish to the stone beaches, then the color becomes darker. The usual height of a floating pencil is 15 or 25 centimeters, its lifespan is about 8 - 10 years.

Habits

As it has already become clear, the needlefish is not a champion swimmer; movement across the sea for the fish depends on underwater currents and waves. That's why main goal When driving, it is timely to stop in a suitable place. To do this, you need to catch your tail on seaweed. In thickets of sea grass, the needle feels safe, and most importantly, there is plenty of your favorite delicacy - the smallest plankton or crustacean larvae. The needle draws all the diversity of organisms invisible to the human eye through its small mouth onto the tip of the muzzle. The dinner ritual is a favorite activity of the pipefish; adult specimens can sift larvae for up to 10 hours in a row.

The second most important activity is reproduction. With the beginning of summer, when the sea off the coast of Anapa begins to warm up, the needles are preparing to reproduce. To attract a female, the male performs certain body movements that should please the bride. After this, the couple intertwines long bodies. During a close embrace, the female pipefish lays eggs in a special skin pouch that the future father of the offspring has. In the body compartment, fertilization and painstaking gestation of eggs occurs. After the eggs ripen, the small needles can hide from danger in their father’s backpack for some time. Marsupial feature caring for their offspring makes the pipefish a truly unique inhabitant of the waters.

Researchers of the marine flora of Anapa noticed that the needle has the ability to make sounds. If you hold an igloo fish in your fist, you can feel faint vibrations and quiet sound waves that the fish emits into the air. To date, scientists cannot establish why the sea dweller needed such a skill.

Where to see in Anapa

Not so long ago all the shallow waters were favorite place needle fish habitat. Today, due to the active development of the resort’s embankments, the environmental condition has changed aquatic environment. Consequences human activity, does not allow the needle to live peacefully within the city. Igloos in Anapa can only be found on the secluded beaches of Vityazevo or the Bugaz Spit.

Needlefish

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Needlefish has a long, very thin body, with a long caudal peduncle, covered with hexagonal rings of bone plates. The snout is tubular and long (especially in Caspian populations), and has scallops on its sides. The gill covers are strongly convex and have a crest only in front. There is a faint ridge on the crown. The dorsal fin is long and begins in front of the anus, the caudal fin is very small. There are 15-17 trunk girdles, 36-41 caudal girdles. There are 7-9 (10) belts under the dorsal fin.

The body color is greenish-brown or reddish-brown, with light transverse stripes in the middle of each girdle. The belly is whitish and the ventral carina is blackish. There are no spots on the dorsal fin. The needle fish grows slowly, reaching a length of 19 cm and a weight of 5 g at 5 years. The maximum age is 6 years, length up to 23 cm, weight up to 5 g.

Euryhaline species, can live in both fresh and salty waters(up to 35). Found in thickets of aquatic plants. In the spring, sea needle fish enters rivers and lakes, sometimes rising to considerable distances (in the Dnieper up to 900 km). The freshwater form leads a watery lifestyle in lakes, reservoirs and oxbow lakes, adhering to the same habitats throughout its life. Pipefish feed on small crustaceans, juveniles only on zooplankton, and adults on plankton, large crustaceans, insect larvae, and sometimes larvae and juvenile fish. In search of prey, it navigates using vision.

Spawning occurs in May-June. The process of reproduction is very peculiar. After mating games with a partner, the female wraps herself around him and lays eggs in the male’s brood chamber located on the caudal peduncle. In this case, the eggs are fertilized, after which the brood chamber is closed by a leathery fold. Fecundity is low, up to 100 eggs. At one time, the female can lay up to 20 eggs. If the male's brood chamber is not full, he can accept eggs from another female. During the season, the female lays up to three portions of eggs.

Males with eggs and embryos in the brood chamber were found in May-July, in the Volga reservoirs in June-August. The eggs are located in the cells of the brood chamber and are completely isolated from the external environment. She receives oxygen from the father's blood flowing to the mucous membrane of the brood chamber. There can be 30-85 eggs in the chamber; in small males they are arranged in 2 rows, in large males in 3 rows. The male carries the eggs and then the larvae until the end of August. After the fry emerge, the mucous membrane separates, similar to the placenta of mammals.

The needle fish is widespread along all shores of the Caspian, Black and Azov seas, and enters rivers and associated lakes. In the Caspian Sea it lives in all areas; a dwarf form was found in the salty bays of Dead Kultuk and Kaydak. Found in fresh water, in the deltas of the Volga, Ural, Terek, lower reaches of the Kura and in the rivers of the southern coast of the sea. Before the regulation of the Volga, it did not rise above Astrakhan. In recent decades, the needle has been rising up the Volga. It was first discovered in the Kuibyshev reservoir in 1962; later it was also noted in the Volgograd, Saratov and even Rybinsk reservoirs. Perhaps the Caspian subspecies is self-dispersing from the lower reaches of the Volga, or it was accidentally brought here during the acclimatization of mysids from the Tsimlyansk Reservoir (a typical Black Sea subspecies). In the Azov Sea basin, the Black Sea needle is widespread in the Kuban estuaries in water with varying salinity. It had not been recorded before in the Kuban and its tributaries, as well as in the Seversky Donets, but after the construction of the Krasnodar reservoir it populated the lower reaches of the Kuban. In the Don basin it is found in the lower reaches. Available in Lake Paleostomi.

In salty seas and oceans, as well as freshwater bodies, you can find very interesting fish, with a long and needle-thin body, and an elongated muzzle. Its body is covered with bone plates that look like a hexagon. The head is decorated with a small scallop. The color can be completely different and depends on the habitat. There are individuals of brown-green and red-brown colors, with many light transverse stripes. This is a needle fish, which can be a little more than 20 cm in length and weighs 5 kg. Her life expectancy is 5 years.

Needlefish prefer shallow water areas with lush vegetation. During the spawning period, the needlefish can enter freshwater bodies of water. It is found in the same Dnieper, and at a considerable distance from the sea. Freshwater fish do not change their habitat and are constantly in the same body of water. The needlefish feeds on bottom larvae, worms, crustaceans, plankton, and small fish. Its fry consume exclusively plankton. The fish's vision is very good, which helps it quickly find food.

Spawns from May to June. During mating season the female lays eggs not on seaweed, but in the male’s pouch, which is located on his tail. Fertilization also occurs there. In total, no more than 100 eggs are laid. In this case, the male’s pouch can contain eggs from different females at the same time. In total, during the mating season, the female can lay three portions of eggs, each containing 20 eggs.

The eggs located in the male's pouch do not come into contact with external environment. The embryos are nourished by their blood. The needle fish larvae are in the male’s pouch until August. After this period, the placenta with the fry is separated from the bag and enters the water.

Igloo fish can be found in Black, Caspian, Seas of Azov. Its dwarf form lives in salty bays. Freshwater pipefish are found on the Volga, Dnieper and Terek. It also exists in the Kuibyshev Reservoir. Maybe, freshwater fish enter large reservoirs from the lower reaches of rivers. This fact is confirmed by the fact that the needle appeared in the reservoirs of Kuban.

Needle fish has no nutritional value. Its natural enemies are predatory fish.

The sea needle fish has an elongated, narrow, needle-shaped body, various types reach sizes from 2.5 to 30 centimeters. They have a narrow, long jaw with sharp teeth, which are worth remembering when cleaning the aquarium. The fins are usually small and located close to the tail. It is believed that fish change color depending on their habitat: the body is painted in bright green, red, brown and gray shades or becomes spotted on a white background. Males are distinguished from females by a black edging in the rear and dorsal fins, as well as a red belly.

Eaglefish are caught along the coasts of Europe from Norway to the Black Sea. The fish prefer to live in coastal thickets, without swimming far into desalinated waters. On the other side of the mainland in the Sea of ​​Japan lives Japanese and seaside fish needles. Life expectancy is 2-3 years.

The needlefish is a predator whose neighbors in the aquarium will be species of a similar size with a calm character. Neighboring fish that are too lively will also begin to take food from the needles. Pipefish like to jump out of the water, jumping vertically. Cover the aquarium with a special lid. A 300-liter aquarium will be enough to keep three individuals. If you plan to breed needle fish, then pairs are selected.

Comfortable parameters: water temperature 24-25°C, pH 8.1-8.3, density 1.021-1.024, potassium less than 10 ppm total NO3, dissolved oxygen 6 ppm, calcium 400-450 ppm. Effective biological filtration and aeration are required. Change water 15-20% every two weeks with water of the same quality, temperature and salinity. Lighting is moderate, dim. Fine sand as soil. At the bottom, build shelters from stones, driftwood, create crevices, caves.

Feeding needle fish

For adults sea ​​fish The needles are fed to fish, frogs, shrimp, tadpoles, nauplii, and planktonic crustaceans as food. Having noticed prey, the needle fish takes aim for a couple of seconds, then sharply swallows the prey, creating negative pressure in the oral cavity like a vacuum cleaner. The victim is pulled into the oral cavity from a distance of 4 cm.

Convert pipefish from live food to frozen seafood products difficult. Therefore, it is always necessary to have a large amount of brine shrimp. In such a diet, there will be a lack of minerals and vitamins, which is replenished with live daphnia, coretra and bloodworms. Under natural conditions, needlefish feed on plankton; in an aquarium, needlefish are fed 4-5 times a day.


Latin name Syngnathus.

Long-snout needlefish is a fish widely distributed in the Azov and Black Seas. The main species lives in the waters Western Europe, reaches the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea.

This fish acquired its name due to the shape of its snout - high, flattened on the sides with a rounded edge. The mouth is small and has no teeth. The body of the needle fish is elongated, completely covered with bony scutes. There is one back fin, a caudal fin and small pectoral fins. There are no pelvic fins, and the anal fin is very small; in males it may not even be noticeable.

Body color is brown-red or green. As a rule, the main background is diluted with black spots and stripes. Long-snouted needle fish reach 37 centimeters in length.

Habitat

The long-snout needle is the most numerous species of European. This type distributed in the Atlantic, near the British Isles, in the Black, Azov, Mediterranean and Baltic seas.

These fish live mainly near the shore, staying close to thickets of underwater plants, as well as stones and rocks. Depending on the habitat, long-snouted needles can have different colors, which contribute to camouflage.

Basically, these fish live at a depth of up to 12 meters, but sometimes they can be found in the open sea. Spinefish can swim all the way to the mouths of rivers, and are sometimes found in fresh water.

Nutrition

The diet consists of small crustaceans, fry and small fish species. In the process of feeding, the pipefish uses its tubular snout to suck in food: when the fish sharply inflates its cheeks, prey located at a distance of no more than 4 centimeters is pulled into the mouth.

Reproduction

The breeding season for these fish that live on Black Sea coast, takes place in April-July. All species of pipefish have a difficult reproduction process. In males, in the lower part of the body, on the side of the peritoneum, there is a brood chamber, which consists of 2 folds of skin. After the mating dance, the female wraps herself around the male’s body and lays eggs in his pouch, and fertilization of the eggs occurs. These folds bend, and the eggs are hidden under them. When the skin comes together, a bag about a third of the length of the entire body is formed. This bag can hold about 100 eggs.

The eggs remain in the pouch until the fry hatch from it, and they do not leave the father’s pouch for some time. To release the fry, the male arches his body, the edges of the skin open, and the new generation ends up in the water. If the babies are in danger, they climb back into the bag with their caring father.

The long-snout pipefish, like other species of pipefish, has no commercial significance.

Other related species of needlefish

The largest species of needlefish living in the Azov and Black Seas is the common needlefish. Her body length is about 46 centimeters. This species is found on the coast of Europe from Morocco to Norway. In addition, common needles are found in the Mediterranean Sea, near the British Isles, but they are not found in the Baltic. These fish live in coastal areas and near the mouths of rivers among large quantity sea ​​thickets. The common pipefish has dark stripes on its body and tail.

The Black Sea plump-cheeked pipefish differs from other pipefish living in the Black and Azov Seas by its short, cylindrical snout. This species lives off the coast Southern Europe. It is also found in Africa, in the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. These fish prefer to stay at a depth of no more than 5 meters in waters with a muddy or sandy bottom. In addition to the sea, plump-cheeked needle fish live in rivers and lakes, as well as in the Volga Reservoir. Average length body is 21 centimeters.

The thin-snouted needle fish has a less wide range - it is found in the Black, Azov and Adriatic seas. This species of pipefish is quite large - individuals reach a length of about 38.5 centimeters. Thin-winged needlefish are not found in fresh water.

The Black Sea spiny needle, about 11 centimeters long, lives only in the Black and Azov Seas at a depth of about 70 meters. The striped or thick-snouted pipefish, about 30 centimeters long, also lives only in the Azov and Black Seas. And a close relative - the coastal pipefish - lives in the Sea of ​​​​Japan; it can also enter river mouths.

The sea awl or serpentine needle fish lives in Cherny, Mediterranean seas and on the Atlantic coast. This species differs from the others in that the males have an open brood pouch and are not protected by folds of skin. Therefore, the eggs are attached to the belly itself. The body is thin and long. Caudal, anal and pectoral fins these fish do not have it. The color is most often greenish-yellow or yellow-gray with brown specks. And at the time of spawning, the body of the sea awl becomes covered with blue spots and stripes. This species lives not only in the seas, but also swims into river mouths.

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