Need help - identifying a pipefish species

[HollyRoot]

Hi - Last year after a trip to the coast of North Carolina (Atlantic Ocean), I accidentally caught a plain, solid brown pipe fish while trying to catch some ghost shrimp in the grassy reeds of the sound. I had some of the sea grass in the bucket and didn't notice him.

Anyway - I had no choice but to try and keep him alive (thinking I'd return him the next time we visited the coast), but after much research and time, I was able to acclimate him to my saltwater tank.

"String Bean" is now my favorite fish, but I still have not been able to find out exactly what species of pipe fish he is. The coast of North Carolina isn't excactly tropical waters. It gets quite cold there in the winter, so I'm wondering if this species is acclimated to the temperature changes or if he migrates.

I found in in the shallow sounds w/ mucky/sandy substrate and he obviously lives in the sea grasses along the edge of the sound.

Anybody know the offical name of this guy?

 

[Elysia]

I forget offhand what the range for each is, but you could look up Syngnathus fuscus, the Northern pipefish; Syngnathus scovelli, the Gulf pipefish; and Cosmocampus hildebrandi, the dwarf pipefish. I do know that pipefish can be found all along the eastern seaboard (as can seahorses.) Erectus seahorses are known as far north as Labrador, but are definately common from Long Island south. The same can be said of the Northern pipefish, I believe.

 

[namxas]

+1 on Elysia's comments. a pic is worth 1000 words in terms of a more positive ID.