FreshwaterBrackishSaltwater
Freshwater pipefish
Microphis fluviatilis
Syngnathidae, Nerophinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 21 cm
- Body shape
- Eel-like
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 222 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
More about the species
Description
It occurs in coastal rivers and streams where it can be found in quiet water amongst vegetation or in the vicinity of logs at river edges. It is ovoviviparous. During mating the female passes eggs to the male and the eggs become fertilized as they pass into the pouch of the male. The male brood the eggs and larvae in an abdominal pouch. After about three weeks the pouch opens and the male gives birth to fully formed young. The young begin to feed soon and may take refuge in the male pouch if necessary. It probably feeds on minute invertebrate organisms such as crustaceans and insects.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Belonichthys fluviatilis
- Belonichthys sanctipauli
- Belonichthys zambezensis
- Dorichthys mento
- Syngnathus fluviatilis
- Syngnathus zambezensis
In other languages
- Østafrikansk ferskvandsnålefisk
Articles
All articles
How to set up an African aquarium5 min read
Two completely different aquariums: forest rivers with soft, brown water, roots and leaves, and Rift Valley lake cichlids in hard, alkaline water with big rock piles.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
Ich (white spot)4 min read
The most common disease in aquarium fish. How to recognize it, why it shows up, and how to get rid of it.