Red-Finned Pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus)
Fish in the family Syngnathidae. Expert care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
A slender, elongated pipefish with a distinctive tubular snout. The body is predominantly pale tan or greenish-grey with red or orange-red coloration on the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. The prehensile tail aids in anchoring to seagrass and soft corals.
Diet and feeding
Feed small live foods such as copepods, amphipods, and mysid shrimp 2–3 times daily. Rarely accept frozen foods; live food availability is essential for long-term survival in captivity.
Difficulty and care for the Red-Finned Pipefish
This species is extremely challenging for most hobbyists due to its dependence on live copepods and amphipods, poor adaptation to prepared foods, and susceptibility to bacterial infections in suboptimal water conditions. Success requires a mature, heavily planted or established reef system and meticulous husbandry.
Common health issues
Starvation (live food refusal), bacterial infections, parasitic copepod infections (Caligus), gas bubble disease
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region, including waters from Indonesia to Australia and northward to the Philippines and Japan. Found in coastal seagrass beds and reef areas.
Log Red-Finned 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 Red-Finned Pipefish alongside everything else in your reef.
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