Red belly pipefish

Hippichthys heptagonus

Also known as Belly pipefish, Sulawesi red belly pipefish

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–84°F (24–29°C)
pH: 7.0–8.2
Adult size: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Minimum tank: 21 gal (80 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Estuaries and lower rivers across the Indo-Pacific
Family: Syngnathidae

Overview

The red belly pipefish is an estuary and lower-river species that does well in either fresh or lightly brackish water, and it needs a mature, gentle tank as its foundation. It is peaceful and social and can be kept in a small group, but it feeds only on small moving prey and is a slow, deliberate eater, so tankmates must be chosen with great care or left out. Offer newly hatched brine shrimp, copepods, Mysis and small mosquito larvae several times a day. It hangs low among plants in calm water. A mature planted tank of about 80 liters or more, fresh or slightly salty, suits it.

In the wild

Hippichthys heptagonus is a wide-ranging Indo-Pacific pipefish of the zone where rivers meet the sea, in lower rivers, mangroves and tidal creeks. It adapts to fresh or lightly brackish setups, so give it a planted tank with soft flow, root and wood cover, and dense marginal growth. Keep it warm at 24 to 29 degrees Celsius and neutral to alkaline, pH 7.0 to 8.2. Stable water and a steady supply of tiny prey matter more than exact salinity.

Good to know

Hippichthys heptagonus, the belly pipefish, reaches about 15 centimeters and takes its name from its seven-angled body in cross-section. It sits in the Syngnathidae, and reproduction is unusual: the female places her eggs onto the male, who carries them and later releases live young. Males can begin brooding at only six to eight centimeters. It is not known to breed readily in aquaria.

Did you know

Slice one across and the body is a seven-sided ring rather than a round tube, the geometry that gives the species its name heptagonus, meaning seven-angled.