TankBud

Yellowbanded pipefish

Dunckerocampus pessuliferus

Also known as Yellow Banded Pipefish, Yellow Multi Banded Pipefish, Doryrhamphus pessuliferus

SaltwaterFish

Yellowbanded pipefish (Dunckerocampus pessuliferus)
Elias Levy · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
6.3 in
16 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Egg carrier · Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Syngnathidae
Origin
Indo-West Pacific, Indonesia and the Philippines

Overview

The yellowbanded pipefish is a saltwater pipefish for a calm tank, where it stays near the bottom. It suits experienced keepers.

Did you know

Yellowbanded pipefish pairs hold a small territory and will pick parasites from larger fish.

Caring for the yellowbanded pipefish

Give yellowbanded pipefish at least 53 gal (200 L). Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. They are reef safe with caution, but keep them away from stinging corals and anemones.

They need several small feeds of mysis and enriched brine shrimp every day. House them with calm tank mates that will not outpace them at feeding time. Yellowbanded pipefish are mostly peaceful and do fine alone or in a group.

Hatcheries in Europe and the United States now produce captive-bred fish. As in the rest of the genus, the male broods the eggs in the open under his trunk, not in a sealed pouch. A settled pair will often spawn at home, and the male then cruises around with a neat ribbon of eggs glued under his body. Even so, breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The yellowbanded pipefish belongs to the family Syngnathidae. It is easily mistaken for the banded pipefish, Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus, but its dark rings sit against yellow to orange rather than white.

In the wild

The yellowbanded pipefish lives in the Indo-West Pacific, including Indonesia and the Philippines. Unlike its cave-dwelling relatives, it prefers sand and mud slopes, often paired up around an isolated coral head in deeper, calmer water. Divers usually find it close to the bottom, well below the busy reef crest.

Common questions

What size tank does a yellowbanded pipefish need?

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

What temperature and pH does a yellowbanded pipefish need?

A yellowbanded pipefish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a yellowbanded pipefish eat?

A yellowbanded pipefish eats mysis and enriched brine shrimp. It needs several small feeds every day.

How big does a yellowbanded pipefish get?

An adult yellowbanded pipefish reaches about 6.3 in (16 cm).

How does a yellowbanded pipefish breed?

Yellowbanded pipefish males brood the eggs in the open under the trunk, not inside a sealed pouch. A settled pair will often spawn at home, but breeding them is hard.

Related species