Brown-Banded Pipefish (Corythoichthys amplexus)
Fish in the family Syngnathidae. Hard care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
A slender, elongated pipefish with a tubular snout and segmented bony body typical of Syngnathidae. Coloration is brown to tan with distinctive darker brown or black bands encircling the body. The male broods eggs in a specialized pouch.
Diet and feeding
Requires frequent feedings of small live or frozen foods such as copepods, amphipods, mysid shrimp, and other small crustaceans. In captivity, target-feed frozen mysis shrimp 2–3 times daily or offer live cultures to ensure adequate nutrition.
Difficulty and care for the Brown-Banded Pipefish
Brown-Banded Pipefishes are challenging aquarium residents. They require pristine water conditions, frequent feeding with live or frozen micro-foods, and a calm environment without aggressive tankmates or strong currents. They are best suited to dedicated pipefish systems or heavily established, low-flow reef tanks with experienced aquarists.
Common health issues
Starvation (inadequate micro-food availability), bacterial infections, parasites, gas bubble disease in poor water quality
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region, found in shallow coastal waters from Indonesia through the Philippines and into the Pacific. Inhabits seagrass beds, mangrove roots, and coral reef margins.
Log Brown-Banded Pipefish in your reef tank
Reef Trak gives you the full record on every species in your tank: acquisition date, source, photos, parameters at time of stocking, and links to maintenance and feeding events. Track Brown-Banded Pipefish alongside everything else in your reef.
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