All fish / Syngnathidae

Janss' pipefish

Doryrhamphus janssi

Also known as janss pipefish, janss's pipefish, cleaner pipefish, janss' cleaner pipefish, orange-banded pipefish, janssi pipefish, ヤンセンス・パイプフィッシュ, 詹氏冠海龙

This is a slender pipefish with a bright orange middle body, a bluish head and a dark tail marked with a white or yellow edge. In the wild it often picks parasites off other fish, and keepers like it as a colourful and unusual addition to a quiet reef tank, where it searches caves and overhangs for food.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

13 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Single fish or a mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and other small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Thailand and the Philippines to northern Australia, Solomon Islands and Tonga

Breeding

As with other syngnathids, the female passes her eggs to the male, who carries them on the underside of his body until they hatch. Mated pairs often spawn in captivity, but the tiny young need live copepods and rotifers, so raising them is difficult.

Good to know

It needs frequent feeds of small live or frozen food and does poorly with fast or boisterous fish, crabs or anemones. Keep it in a mature, peaceful system that has plenty of rockwork.