TankBud

Opossum pipefish

Microphis brachyurus

Also known as Short-tailed pipefish, Short-tail pipefish, Red line pipefish

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Opossum pipefish (Microphis brachyurus)
Yuriy Kvach · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
8.7 in
22 cm
Minimum tank
32 gal
120 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Pouch brooder · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Syngnathidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific, Sri Lanka to Japan and the Society Islands

Overview

The opossum pipefish is one of the larger freshwater pipefish, and like all pipefish it is a slow, deliberate hunter. Keep one only if you are an experienced keeper.

Did you know

The opossum pipefish takes its name from the male, which carries the brood on his own body the way an opossum carries its young.

Caring for the opossum pipefish

Keep a pair or small group of opossum pipefish in at least 32 gal (120 L), with tall plants or branches to hang among. Give them dense planting, fine substrate and gentle flow.

Hold the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Captive fish are most often kept in low-end brackish water, which keepers find more forgiving. If you run it brackish, aim for a specific gravity around 1.005.

It needs calm surroundings and no food competition, so a species tank is the safe choice. Offer live baby brine shrimp, small shrimp and mosquito larvae. Some individuals learn to take frozen mysis.

The male broods the eggs in a pouch under his trunk. Spawning happens now and then in aquariums, but the seagoing larval stage means fry are almost never raised. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

Microphis brachyurus is amphidromous. Its eggs hatch in freshwater, and the larvae drift all the way to the sea before the juveniles climb back into rivers. Atlantic populations once counted as a subspecies are now their own species, Microphis lineatus. The trade fish is therefore the Indo-Pacific form, usually exported from Indonesia.

In the wild

Opossum pipefish live in rivers, estuaries and coastal streams across the Indo-Pacific, from Sri Lanka east to Japan and the Society Islands. Wild adults push well upstream into freshwater.

Common questions

What size tank does an opossum pipefish need?

An opossum pipefish needs at least 32 gal (120 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an opossum pipefish need?

An opossum pipefish is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does an opossum pipefish eat?

An opossum pipefish eats live baby brine shrimp, small shrimp and mosquito larvae. Some learn to take frozen mysis as well.

How big does an opossum pipefish get?

An adult opossum pipefish reaches about 8.7 in (22 cm).

How does an opossum pipefish breed?

The male opossum pipefish broods the eggs in a pouch under his trunk. Spawning happens now and then in aquariums, but the larvae go to sea, so fry are almost never raised.

Related species