Wortfish

Wortfish (Verrucanguilla) are a genus of pipefish. They are found in the Seawort fields of the Mediterranean and western Indian Ocean. This genus is descended from the Black-Striped Pipefish. 

Biology and Behavior

Male Wortfish measure in at usually 3 inches in length. Females measure in at 2 inches. During the spring and summer, they glow a bright shade of green. When fall and winter roll around, their pigment changes and they turn a blood red. This seasonal camouflage allows them to blend in with the Seawort as it changes colors. 

Wortfish are segmented, these segments are rounded and look more plant-like than fish-like in order to blend in with the Seawort. Their tail is thin but strong, which allows them to grab the Seawort and be inconspicuous to any predators.

Their diet's consist of amphipods, copepods, and fish larvae, which are all they can eat given the size of their small, elongated mouth with fused jaws. Wortfish are hydrodynamic enough to not cause any disturbances while hunting and suck up anything that floats by. In order to truly blend in, they wrap their tails around a branch and let the current move them rather than letting the movement of their fins give their position away.

Mating season occurs while Seawort blooms. While mating, the female will deposit her eggs in the male's brood pouch, the same thing that other Sygnathids do. When the eggs hatch, the male will spew out the hatchlings.