The beautiful Enneacampus ansorgii is a small (8 – 12 cm) freshwater pipefish and at the same time the species most commonly available for the hobby, especially as it is propagated by commercial breeders. The ground-dwelling pipefish belongs to the short-snouted members of the family. It is native to West Africa and is occasionally offered as a wild catch from Nigeria. The young animals can be fed with Artemia nauplii immediately after release from the paternal brood pouch.

Regarding feeding, all pipefish are very demanding animals and their care cannot be recommended without a reliable live food source. While larger species are very happy to eat live red and white mosquito larvae, these foods are not well suited to the short-snouted E. ansorgii. It is best to give it small crustaceans (cyclops, water fleas, etc.), and freshly hatched Artemia nauplii are also very suitable. If you feed Artemia frequently, you should add some salt to the water (about 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water), the needles tolerate this very well and the Artemia stay alive longer.

At the moment we have large, adult specimens in the stock as offspring.

For our customers: the fish have code 128513 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Only
very rarely we obtain the freshwater pipefish Microphis aculeatus from
Nigeria. The fish belong to the free swimming members of the family and
are very attractive. As in all pipefish the male has to care for the
eggs until they hatch. The eggs are deposited in a pouch along the
belly. So the male can be easily recognized by the totally different
shape of the body. Moreover the up to 15 cm long males (females stay a
bit smaller) have a pretty red stripe along the back and a nice pattern
on the snout.

For our customers: the fish have code 149204 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Once more we were able to import the largest and most beautiful of all freshwater pipefish. This species occurs only in pure freshwater! Maximum size reported is around 40 cm.

For our customers: the animals have code 414294 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Currently we were able to import a new species of freshwater pipefish from India: Hippichthys penicillus. Basically speaking, there are two types of pipefish. First, the ones that swim free in the water column, imitating plant material (sticks etc.). Twice the ones that are bottom-dwellers and crawl like snakes between plants, stones, roots etc.. The most important aquarium pipe fish of that group is Enneacampus ansorgii.

The species belonging to Hippichthys are in between those extremes. This is also true for their habitat. They can be found in pure marine, brackish water and pure freshwater environments. The technical term for that is euryhaline.

From an aquarists point of view it is best to keep them in weakly brackish water (about 3-5 grams salt per litre). The benefit of the salt is that Artemia, they primary food resource for pipefish kept in aquaria, will stay longer alive; moreover any potential salt requirement by the pipefish is thus fulfilled. Please use exclusively salt that is manufactured for reef aquaria!

The males of Hippichthys penicillus can be easily recognized by the prominent fold on the belly which serves as a brood chamber. Besides this they also differ from the females in respect of coloration. Males are deep black with silver shining spots, wheras the females are much duller coloured. The fish become mature at a length of 6-8 cm, but according to literature they may reach a maximum length of 18 cm.

For our customers: the fish have code 421522 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Lexicon: Hippichthys: ancient Greek, means “horse-fish”. penicillus: Latin, means “brush”; this name was given referring to the finray-structures at the end of the tail. Microphis: ancient Greek, means “little snake”. Enneacampus: ancient Greek, means “with nine coves”, probably referring to the cross section. ansorgii: dedication name.

Suggestion of a common name: Night sky pipefish

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

The small freshwater pipefish originates from Western Africa, from Cameroon to Gabun and in the Zaire- and Ogowe River. These fish inhabit freshwater as well as brackish water habitats. Addition of sea salt (1-2 teaspoons per 10 litre of water) will therefore increase the vitality of these fish. This species, but actually all freshwater pipefish, need a special fish tank for its own in order to thrive because they are slow eating fish. They eat only life food like daphnia, cyclops, brine shrimps and the smallest fish fry. Breeding has been performed successfully in captivity on several occasions. The female lays her eggs over the breeding pouch of the male pipefish. The eggs are attached on the male animal behind the vent within an area bordered by 2 folds, which form the breeding pouch. These fish need regular water changes and a clean fish tank but will give their owner many pleasure by displaying beautiful colouration and an interesting behaviour. (Photo: Frank Schäfer, Text: Izaak den Daas)

The species Microphis lineatus inhabits the (sub) tropical coastal waters of the American continent. This pelagic pipefish grows up to 22 cm lengths and has a very long slender snout with red spots and blotches. The body is brown or greenish above and pale below. There are very small white spots on the body and a dark line through both eyes. The brood care is practised by the males. Mature male Short-tail River Pipefish carry the eggs in a brood pouch on the ventral surface of the body. Large males can carry several hundred eggs. The breeding takes place in freshwater meanwhile they live most of the year in estuaries and coastal waters. Therefore salt should be added to the water. This pipefish takes only life food. Freshly hatched brine shrimps are taken eagerly. Flake or tablet food is generally not accepted.(Photo: Erwin Schraml, Text: Klaus Diehl)

Pseudophallus mindii is a short snouted pipefish, which reached us as a by-catch in two exemplars. Their distribution contains central and tropical South America, where it is found predominantly in freshwater habitats. Adults were caught from estuaries and mangrove areas too, while planktonic juveniles have been collected well offshore at sea. As other pipefishes and seahorses the males will do the brood care. The food supply is for the maintenance of pipefishes particularly of importance. They must be located in the food, best in living food, e.g. water fleas, cyclops, small mosquito larvae and artemia. A salt additive is recommended, the aquariums should be well structured with fine-leafed plants and little pieces of bogwood, so that the animals can show their natural behavior. At the best they should only be socialized with really peaceful fish, which do not fight with them for food, because they does not have any self-assertion. As tank mates some invertebrates e.g. shrimps will do fine.(Photo Erwin Schraml, Text Klaus Diehl)