Fun Tube-snout Facts For Kids

If learning about unique species of fishes interests you, you are going to love reading about the tube-snout. The tube-snout is a long slender fish with a long snout and is a resident of North America.

It is mainly found living on kelps and in crevices along the Pacific coast. Fishes of this species are closely related to another slender, elongated species, the sticklebacks. Both species share certain characteristics.

The tube-snout is also sometimes mistaken for the bay pipefish, even though the two are not related. The tube-snout belongs to the Aulorhynchidae family and is of the genus Aulorhynchus that is the sole member of the Aulorhynchidae family. However, Aulichthys japonicus is known to be a former member of the said family.

Tube-snout are endemic to the coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean and is a pretty social species. They tend to swim and perform other activities in schools.

To know more about this species, keep on reading. If you want to learn about other species of fish, check out koi fish and French angelfish.

Tube-Snout Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a tube-snout?

Tube-snout (Aulorhynchus flavidus) is a type of fish. It belongs to the phylum Chordata and order Gasterosteiformes. The tube-snout is closely related to the sticklebacks.

What class of animal does a tube-snout belong to?

The tube-snout belongs to the Actinopterygii class and fish family Aulorhynchidae of the Animalia kingdom. It is a member of the genus Aulorhynchus. The scientific name of this species is Aulorhynchus flavidus.

How many tube-snout are there in the world?

Tube-snouts can be seen in large numbers in their distribution range. They have the capability to double up their population within the span of one to four years. Even though the exact number of tube-snouts living in this world is not known, it can be assumed that their population is not at risk.

Where does a tube-snout live?

Tube-snouts (Aulorhynchus flavidus) are a resident of North America. This fish is found in the waters along the Pacific coastline. Species of this fish can be found in large numbers in Baja California, Rompiente, and Alaska. Tube-snouts are also found in public aquariums all over the world.

What is a tube-snout's habitat?

The natural habitat of a tube-snout, belonging to the family Aulorhynchidae, is the marine waters of the Pacific. It prefers living in the sandy bottom areas.

Aulorhynchus flavidus can be very commonly found living on kelp beds and in crevices. Tube-snout fish can also be seen living near rock cavities. They are generally found at a depth of 98.4 ft (30m).

Who does a tube-snout live with?

Unlike toadfish, the tube-snout does not live a solitary life. It can be seen swimming in large schools and prefers doing daily activities in schools.

How long does a tube-snout live?

In the wild, fishes of this species can live a healthy life up to nine years of age.

How do they reproduce?

The spawning season of tube-snouts lasts all year long. Females and males swim to a range of 32.9-65.6 ft (10-20 m) depth to spawn. The females of this species are responsible for building the nests and they build the nest on the kelps of their habitat range.

Males, on the other hand, are responsible for defending the nest from potential predators. The males also secrete a stinky genital fluid that helps keep the nest intact.

Females take turns depositing their eggs in the nest and then the eggs are clustered by the male. Each male spawns with multiple female fishes. The eggs are taken care of by the male for about three weeks until the eggs hatch.

What is their conservation status?

According to International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the conservation status of tube-snouts (Aulorhynchus flavidus) has been categorized as Least Concern. A school of these fishes swimming can be very commonly spotted in their habitat range.

Apart from that, they can double up their population within a span of one to four years.

Tube-Snout Fun Facts

What does a tube-snout look like?

This species of fish that is closely related to the sticklebacks have a long stretched-out slender body that appears to be slimy. The body of this fish is olive-green or yellow-brown in color but appears to be much paler from a distance.

This slender body of the fish has 24-27 small spines. These small spines are located in front of the dorsal fin. It has a small mouth and a long snout like beluga sturgeon that is shaped like a tube.

How cute are they?

Like the Chinese paddlefish, the slender, elongated body of the tube-snout does not make them look very cute. The long snout does not add to its beauty either. However, a school of tube-snouts swimming can be an attractive sight.

How do they communicate?

Fishes, in general, communicate with vibrations and gestures. They send off signals in the form of vibrations to warn each other or to attract potential mates. It can be assumed that this species uses similar methods to communicate.

How big is a tube-snout?

This species has a slender stretched-out body. The body length of a tube-snout can reach up to 7 in (17.7 cm). When compared to an average piranha fish, they are almost the same or shorter in size.

How fast can a tube-snout swim?

A school of tube-snout swimming is a common sight in its habitat range. However, the exact speed at which they swim is not known yet.

How much does a tube-snout weigh?

The weight of this fish from the Aulorhynchidae family is not known yet.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name given to the male and female of this species. They are simply referred to as male tube-snout and female tube-snout.

What would you call a baby tube-snout?

Baby fishes are known as fry. A baby of this species of fish would also be referred to as the same.

What do they eat?

The species of tube-snout of the Aulorhynchidae family follows a carnivorous diet. It feeds on planktons and crustaceans found near kelps. Larva of other fishes also become a part of their diet. The tube-snout is also known to feed on mysids.

Are they dangerous?

Even though tube-snouts prey on mysids and crustaceans, they are not aggressive species. They are not known to pose any danger to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

Tube-snouts can be kept as pets, but they are not very popular. They need a proper diet and care to survive in captivity. Tube-snouts can be seen in various public aquariums.

Did you know...

The tube-shaped long snout of Aulorhynchus flavidus has gained them their common name tube-snout. Another common name of this species is tubenose.

What is the difference between tube-snout and pipefish?

The tube-snout is often mistaken for the bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus). However, there are significant differences between the two species.

Firstly, the body of a bay pipefish is pipe-like and more elongated than the fish belonging to the Aulorhynchidae family. Moreover, compared to tube-snout, the bay pipefish is larger in size. Tube-snouts have lines of dorsal spines that lack in pipefishes.

What eats tube-snout?

Tube-snouts are often targeted by larger fishes that swim near the same range. Other fishes also prey on the young ones or the larvae. While the female nests, the male takes the responsibility to guard and chase away predators.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover!  For more relatable content, check out these shark facts and clownfish interesting facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable tube-snout coloring pages.