All fish / Syngnathidae

Reeftop Pipefish

Corythoichthys haematopterus

Also known as reef top pipefish, messmate pipefish, bloodspot pipefish, red-finned pipefish, banded pipefish, yes, イシヨウジ, 红鳍冠海龙

A slender pipefish with a pale body crossed by dark brown bands and fine reddish markings, sometimes with a red spot on the tail region. It is kept for its unusual shape and slow, deliberate hunting over rock and sand in quiet reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair

Diet

Carnivore: live copepods, amphipods, enriched brine shrimp and mysis; needs frequent small feeds

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: East Africa and Red Sea to Samoa, north to Japan, south to Australia

Breeding

The male carries the eggs on a brood area under his belly until they hatch. Pairs may spawn in captivity, but raising the tiny planktonic young needs live rotifers and copepods and is rarely successful.

Good to know

Often starves in tanks without a mature population of copepods, so add it only to established systems without fast or boisterous feeders. Not suited to tanks with crabs, large shrimps or aggressive fish.