TankBud

Shortfin pipefish

Cosmocampus elucens

Also known as Syngnathus elucens

SaltwaterFish

Shortfin pipefish (Cosmocampus elucens)
(c) Dan Schofield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–75°F
20–24°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
76 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Syngnathidae
Origin
Western Atlantic, North Carolina to Suriname

Overview

The shortfin pipefish is a peaceful saltwater pipefish for a calm tank, where it keeps to the bottom. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The first captive-bred shortfin pipefish were reared only in 2024, at a North Carolina hatchery. That makes this quiet Atlantic native one of the newest additions to the captive-bred list.

Caring for the shortfin pipefish

Give the shortfin pipefish a calm tank of at least 20 gal (76 L), and keep the flow gentle. Hold the water at 68 to 75°F (20 to 24°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Once settled, it falls into a routine along the bottom.

It is a slow, deliberate feeder. Offer frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp and copepods at least twice a day.

The shortfin pipefish is peaceful and does fine alone or in a group. It makes a good companion for seahorses and other pipefish, but keep it away from quick, competitive fish. It is reef safe with caution.

As with all pipefish, the male carries the brood in a pouch under his tail. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

The shortfin pipefish belongs to the family Syngnathidae. Cuban naturalist Felipe Poey described it in 1868 as a Syngnathus, and it was later moved to the genus Cosmocampus.

In the wild

The shortfin pipefish lives in the western Atlantic, from North Carolina and Bermuda south through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It is found mostly in shallow seagrass beds. Its mottled pattern blends into the blades so well that it is easy to look straight past one.

Common questions

What size tank does a shortfin pipefish need?

A shortfin pipefish needs at least 20 gal (76 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a shortfin pipefish need?

A shortfin pipefish is comfortable at 68–75°F (20–24°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a shortfin pipefish eat?

A shortfin pipefish eats frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp and copepods. Feed it at least twice a day, since it is a slow, deliberate feeder.

How big does a shortfin pipefish get?

An adult shortfin pipefish reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

How can you tell a male shortfin pipefish from a female?

Males have a brood pouch under the tail, and females do not.

How does a shortfin pipefish breed?

Shortfin pipefish males carry the brood in a pouch under the tail. Breeding them is hard.

Related species