The Bay pipefish is a long thin pale green to dark green or brown fish. They have bony rings rather than scales. They are part of the family group that is the only living relative to the sea horse, and in fact, they breed like most seahorses too, with the males giving birth to live young. Bay pipefish have a tube-like snout with a very small mouth at the end.They lack pelvic fins and their pectoral and dorsal fins are very small and fast moving! Their caudal (tail) fin is small and looks a bit like a fan. The females typically grow larger than the males, reaching up to a foot long.
Bay pipefish most commonly live in eelgrass or algae beds in shallow intertidal water. They are slow swimmers and rely upon camouflage. They will hang parallel to eelgrass leaves, swaying with the current as a disguise.