Care
In the wild, the Bluestripe pipefish is typically found in lagoons and areas between reef outcrops that provide shelter from strong currents and wave action. As well as foraging for small invertebrates, this species is a cleaner that removes parasites from territorial species that don't tend to visit cleaning stations.
Although completely trustworthy with corals, they will not fare well in a typical community reef setting and are best in the type of set up suitable for seahorses, which make very suitable tankmates. Feeding can be challenging, especially if housed with faster-moving species or efficient micropredators such as wrasses. Filtration should be thorough, but water movement gentle. Ensure that these fish cannot be drawn into filter intakes by current that is too vigorous. Provide plenty of shady overhangs amongst rockwork, corals, macroalgae and the like. Best maintained in pairs or small groups.
Feeding
Can be very challenging to feed. This species should be provided with natural prey on an ongoing basis. Live rock is always recommended, but a more constant supply of tiny live foods for this purpose can be reliably cultured in a fishless refugium. New additions often readily take live brineshrimp (try to gut load them first), but this alone does not provide enough sustenance. These fish should be weaned onto Mysis shrimp as soon as possible. Most specimens will refuse frozen foods, so be prepared to culture your own copepods, isopods, amphipods, Mysids etc. Feed several times daily, and ensure they are not being out competed for food by unsuitable tankmates.
Breeding
Bluestripe Pipefish will readily spawn in the home aquarium. Courtship behaviour prior to spawning often involves elaborately choreographed displays and heightened colouration. These fish are external brooders. The male has a special spongy area located on his underside, referred to as a brood patch (in other species, where it is more of a chamber than a spongy area, it is known as a brood pouch) which the eggs adhere to whilst they develop. Once released, the miniscule fry are free-swimming, but at great risk from predation by the adults. A nursery tank and a supply of rotifers (later freshly hatched baby brineshrimp) will be necessary. The free-swimming fry have little in the way of a yolk sac and will need to be provided with food immediately.
