Slender Snipefish, Macroramphosus gracilis

Slender Snipefish, Macroramphosus gracilis. Fish caught off the surface at night with a bait net having been attracted by light in coastal waters off San Clemente Island, November 2016. Length: 4.1 cm (1.6 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California. Identification courtesy of H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California and reconfirmed by Dr. Robert N. Lea, Monterey, California.

The Slender Snipefish, Macroramphosus gracilis, is a member of the Snipefish or Macroramphosidae Family, and is known in Mexico as trompetero flaco. This species is under current discussion within the scientific community as some believe that the Longspine Snipefish, Macroramphosus scolopax, is an adult Slender Snipefish and not a stand-alone species. Historically, this fish was known as Macrohamphosidae gracilis. The Snipefish Family contains twelve species that have currently been placed in five genera. Globally, there are two known species in the genus Macroramphosus, both of which are found in Mexican waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

The Slender Snipefish has a moderately elongated body. Juveniles are black dorsally and transition to silvery blue ventrally. They have an elongated head with an extremely long, slender, and tube-like snout. They have large eyes and a very small mouth located at the tip of their snout. Their anal fin has 16 to 20 rays; their caudal fin is forked; their first dorsal fin has 4 to 8 stout spines, the second of which is elongated, and is found well behind mid-body; the second dorsal fin has 11 to 19 rays; and, their pelvic fins are small and found well behind the mid-body and the pectoral fins. They are covered with small scales.

The Slender Snipefish is a pelagic species found in large schools over sandy and muddy bottoms from the surface to depths up to 150 m (500 feet). They reach a maximum of 15.0 cm (5.9 inches) in length. Juveniles feed on pelagic invertebrates and adults feed on benthic invertebrates. In turn they are preyed upon by Conger Eels, dolphins, hakes, mackerels, monkfish, sharks, and various sea birds. Reproduction is oviparous with dimorphic individuals that change colors during the mating process. Their planktonic eggs and larvae are pelagic. The Slender Snipefish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Slender Snipefish have a circumglobal range and although not well documented they are believed to be present in all Mexican waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. They are normally found far out at sea but will visit coastal waters on occasion.

The Slender Snipefish can be confused with the Longspine Snipefish, Macroramphosus scolopax (deeper body with red tinges; found at depths up to 600 m or 2,000 feet), however both  fish may actually be one and the same species.

From a conservation perspective the Slender Snipefish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are seldom seen by humans and of limited interest to most. They are caught as a by-catch of bottom trawlers at a level of 35,000 tons annually and utilized to make fishmeal and fish oil.