Banded pipefish
Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus
Also known as Ringed pipefish, Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus, Dragon pipefish, Harlequin pipefish
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.0–8.4
- Adult size
- 7.5 in
- 19 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe with caution
- Family
- Syngnathidae
- Origin
- Native to the Indo-Pacific, living in caves and under ledges on reefs and often seen hovering upside down in shaded spots.
Overview
Keep banded pipefish in a mature tank of at least 200 litres with abundant live rock, caves and ideally a refugium that breeds copepods, at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.0 to 8.4. The challenge is feeding: they hunt tiny live copepods and amphipods and often need a steady supply plus training onto small frozen mysis and enriched foods. Keep them with only peaceful, slow tankmates and no fast feeders or aggressive fish. They are best in pairs, but two males will squabble.
In the wild
The banded pipefish is a slim, snake-like relative of the seahorse ringed in bold red and white bands with a small red paddle-shaped tail. It hovers under ledges and inside caves, often oriented head-down, and picks tiny prey off the rock. It moves with a gentle rippling of its fins and is completely harmless to handle but easily starved.
Good to know
Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus, long listed under the name Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus, reaches around 19 cm and is one of the larger reef pipefishes. As in seahorses the male broods the eggs, carrying them attached under his tail rather than in a closed pouch. Its bright banding is thought to advertise that it also cleans parasites off other fish.
Did you know
Banded pipefish act as cleaners on the reef, and small fish will sometimes hang motionless in front of a pair to let them pick off parasites, much as they would visit a cleaner wrasse.
Common questions
What size tank does a Banded pipefish need?
A Banded pipefish needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Banded pipefish need?
A Banded pipefish is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.
How big does a Banded pipefish get?
An adult Banded pipefish reaches about 7.5 in (19 cm).
Related species
6.3 in (16 cm)53 gal (200 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Yellowbanded pipefish
Dunckerocampus pessuliferus
6.3 in (16 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
5.5 in (14 cm)50 gal (190 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Janss' pipefish
Doryrhamphus janssi
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7.1 in (18 cm)20 gal (76 L)68–75°F (20–24°C)Gulf pipefish
Syngnathus scovelli
7.1 in (18 cm) · 20 gal (76 L)
5.9 in (15 cm)20 gal (76 L)68–75°F (20–24°C)Shortfin pipefish
Cosmocampus elucens
5.9 in (15 cm) · 20 gal (76 L)
3.1 in (8 cm)30 gal (114 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Narrowstripe pipefish
Doryrhamphus bicarinatus
3.1 in (8 cm) · 30 gal (114 L)
7.9 in (20 cm)40 gal (150 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Yellow seahorse
Hippocampus kuda
7.9 in (20 cm) · 40 gal (150 L)