Banded pipefish (Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Ringed pipefish, Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus
Family
Syngnathidae (pipefishes and seahorses)
Origin
Tropical Indo-Pacific including the Red Sea; tide pools, lagoons and outer reef slopes.
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
20 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.023–1.026
Minimum tank
120 litres
Care level
expert
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes

Care

Pipefish are slow, deliberate feeders. Keep them in a calm, mature tank with plenty of live rock and a population of copepods, with no fast or boisterous tankmates. Provide caves and overhangs, where banded pipefish like to hover upside down. The 120-litre minimum is our estimate. Name note: now usually placed in the genus Dunckerocampus. Water figures given here are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4 and salinity SG 1.023–1.026, with stable, well-oxygenated water. Its red-and-white banded body is long and straight. Males can be recognised when brooding by the eggs carried on the underside. Only seahorses (Hippocampus) in this family are CITES-listed; this species is not. Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doryrhamphusdactyliophorus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Eats small crustaceans. Offer live or frozen copepods, enriched brine shrimp and frozen mysis several small times a day.

Breeding

The female lays eggs on the male's brood area, where they develop until he releases the young. Pairs often spawn in aquaria, but the tiny larvae are difficult to rear.

Compatibility and tank mates

Reef safe. Keep with small, peaceful fish; avoid anything that competes hard for food or nips. Keep away from anemones and stinging corals.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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