Our animals
Select zone
Northern lakes and seas
The ocean
Tropical rivers and lakes
Select aquaria
Dwarf mormyrid
Electric eel
Cave tetra
Neon tetra
Arowana
Philippines crocodile
Arapaima
Piranha
Stream aquarium
Under the riverbank
River cichlids
The plants in the river
Select species
Select a species to read more
Elegant paradise fish
Long-snouted pipefish
Short-tail freshwater pipefish
Opossum pipefish
Spotted algae eater
Altum angelfish
Cherry barb
Threadfin rainbowfish
Mimic oto
Long-tailed sturisoma
Tiger limia
Spotted hoplo catfish
Metallic livebearer
Short-tail freshwater pipefish
Facts
| Latin | Microphis brachyurus |
| Size | 24 cm |
| Food | Small crustaceans, small fish, insects and worms. |
| Habitat | Rivers, lakes and brackish water. |
| IUCN | Least concern |
| Location | Everywhere in the tropics. Our fish are caught in Indonesia. |
| Map |  |
Freshwater seahorse
The pipefish is in the same family as the seahorse. Like the seahorse, the pipefish lives among the seaweed in shallow waters. Here it is well camouflaged with its long, thin body and colouring.
Dad is pregnant
In the pipefish family, the male cares for the eggs until they hatch. The female lays her eggs in a skin flap on the male’s belly – a brood pouch. The eggs are incubated here over the course of 1 month. If there is any danger, the offspring retreat back into the brood pouch.
Several species in one?
The short-tailed freshwater pipefish is very widespread and many scientists believe that a comparison of the DNA of the fish in different areas will reveal that there is actually more than one species.