Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus
| Identification | The banded pipefish has an eel-like body with a tube-shaped mouth. True to its name, it is marked with contrasting dark and light vertical stripes. This fish also usually has one dark band crossing the opercle (gill cover) and one spot or stripe on the dorsal (back) and the caudal (tail) fins. |
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| Maximum Length | 7.0″ |
| Origin | East Africa to Samoa, throughout Micronesia in the Indian and Pacific oceans, and in the Red Sea. |
| Minimum Tank Size | 25 Gallons |
| Reef Compatibility | Excellent |
Behavior
Very Peaceful, Needs a quiet aquarium. Ideal tank mate for seahorses.
Diet & Feeding
In the wild, these pipefish eat a variety of zooplankton, mysis shrimp and brine shrimp. The pipefish, like its relative the seahorse, sucks in its food and swallows it whole because it does not have teeth.