TankBud

Long-snouted pipefish

Doryichthys boaja

Also known as Microphis boaja, Giant freshwater pipefish, Asian river pipefish

FreshwaterFish

Long-snouted pipefish (Doryichthys boaja)
NasserHalaweh · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
79–82°F
26–28°C
pH
7.0–7.8
Adult size
16.1 in
41 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Syngnathidae
Origin
Southeast Asia, Thailand to Indonesia

Overview

Despite its size this is a delicate, peaceful fish that must not share a tank with anything fast or boisterous. It takes small live foods and often accepts frozen bloodworms and mysis more readily than its smaller relatives, but it still eats slowly. House a pair or small group in 200 liters or more, the longer the better, with calm water and vertical structure to rest against. Thai exports reach the trade fairly regularly.

In the wild

The long-snouted pipefish lives in rivers and larger streams across Southeast Asia, from Thailand and Cambodia through Malaysia and Indonesia, always in pure freshwater. Give it a long, calm tank with fine sand, tall plants or branches, and very gentle flow at 26 to 28 degrees Celsius and a pH of 7.0 to 7.8. It is timid and startles easily, so quiet placement and plenty of cover matter.

Good to know

At up to about 41 centimeters, Doryichthys boaja is the largest freshwater pipefish in the world. The body shows alternating pale blue and brown bars along the trunk and tail. A recent revision folds the genus Doryichthys into Microphis, so the same fish appears in newer literature as Microphis boaja. The male broods the eggs in a pouch under his trunk; aquarium breeding has not been recorded.

Did you know

This is the giant among freshwater pipefish, reaching around 40 centimeters, yet it hunts prey barely bigger than a mosquito larva, picking it off with a quick snap of its long snout.

Common questions

What size tank does a Long-snouted pipefish need?

A Long-snouted pipefish needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Long-snouted pipefish need?

A Long-snouted pipefish is comfortable at 79–82°F (26–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–7.8.

How big does a Long-snouted pipefish get?

An adult Long-snouted pipefish reaches about 16.1 in (41 cm).

Related species