Longspine snipefish

Macroramphosus scolopax

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth66–232 m
Water temperature9–26 °C
Best monthsMay
How commonCommon

Photo credit: (c) Paul Korecky, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

The longspine snipefish, is a snipefish of the genus Macroramphosus, also known by various names such as bellowfish, common bellowsfish, snipe-fish, snipefish, spine trumpet fish, or trumpetfish. It is also known as the slender snipefish particularly off the South African coast.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Longspine snipefish”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 36 records
February: 242 records
March: 299 records
April: 383 records
May: 1,044 records
June: 362 records
July: 184 records
August: 175 records
September: 295 records
October: 299 records
November: 486 records
December: 615 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 66–232 m · Deepest record: 2,670 m

0–10 m: 23 records
10–20 m: 7 records
20–30 m: 6 records
30–40 m: 36 records
40–50 m: 29 records
50–60 m: 255 records
60–70 m: 133 records
70–80 m: 410 records
80–90 m: 283 records
90–100 m: 334 records
100–110 m: 200 records
110+ m: 2,835 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 9–26 °C

8–10 °C: 4 records
10–12 °C: 9 records
12–14 °C: 30 records
14–16 °C: 45 records
16–18 °C: 145 records
18–20 °C: 175 records
20–22 °C: 101 records
22–24 °C: 53 records
24–26 °C: 15 records

Photos

(c) Eridan Xharahi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Thomas Mesaglio, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Karim Haddad, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
(c) Mourad Harzallah, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Longspine snipefish, Longspine spinefish, Snipefish, Snipe-fish, Bellowfish, Bellows-fish, Common Bellows-fish, Common Bellowsfish, Common Snipefish, Long Nosed Snipefish, longspine snipefish, Longspine snipefish, Snipe-fish, longspine spinefish, Slender Snipefish, snipe fish, snipe-fish, snipefish, Spine Trumpet Fish, Trumpetfish, Trumpet Fish, Woodcock-fish

Names in 5 more languages

German: Gewöhnlicher Schnepfenfisch, Schnepenfisch
Spanish: Canario, Musico, Trompetero, trompetero copete
French: bécasse de mer, Bécasse de mer, Trompette
Japanese: サギフエ
Simplified Chinese: 長吻魚(鷺管魚), 長嘴仔, 鷸嘴魚

Other scientific names: Balistes scolopax, Centriscus scolopax, Centriscus squamosus, Macrorhamphosus scolopax, Silurus cornutus, Solenostomus scolopax

Similar species

Slender snipefish
Macroramphosus gracilis
Japanese Bellowsfish
Macroramphosus sagifue
Banded Bellows-fish
Centriscops humerosus
Razorfish
Aeoliscus strigatus
Grooved razorfish
Centriscus scutatus
Speckled shrimpfish
Aeoliscus punctulatus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
7,556 open-data records from 1881 to 2024.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

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