It formerly included three subspecies, but these are now regarded as separate species: Microphis aculeatus of the East Atlantic region, Microphis lineatus of the West Atlantic and Caribbean regions, and Microphis millepunctatus of the Western Indian Ocean region.
The short-tailed pipefish reaches up to 22 cm (8.7 in) in standard length.
Additional field notes
Older short-tailed pipefish accounts can combine fishes now treated as separate species.
Sources: Microphis brachyurus species summary
Interpreting a broad historical range
The FishBase summary includes Atlantic localities as well as the Indo-Pacific range. The attributed article above, however, distinguishes Atlantic and western Indian Ocean forms now recognized as Microphis lineatus, M. aculeatus, and M. millepunctatus. Those Atlantic listings should be checked against the newer names before treating them as a confirmed range for Microphis brachyurus. This is a taxonomic scope difference, not evidence that every pipefish in those regions belongs to one widespread species.
Sources: Microphis brachyurus species summary
Guide sources
Research reviewed 2026-10-19.
Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Short-tailed pipefish (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
Diet and feeding
The FishTraits compilation records these diet categories for this species: invertebrates or larval fish. These are broad categories, not a claim that every individual consumes every example in a category.
Reported feeding positions include bottom feeding and surface or water-column feeding. The compilation combines published observations; diets can vary with age, locality, and available food.
Habitat preferences
Reported habitat associations include medium to large rivers, still-water habitats.
The source records associations with sand, vegetation. An association indicates reported use, rather than an exclusive requirement.
The species is classified as tolerant of a broad range of salinities. This flag does not specify a salinity range for aquarium care.
Reproduction and parental care
The compilation reports a representative maturity age of 1 years. Its maturity field summarizes mean, median, or modal estimates, usually for females; male estimates can be used when female data are unavailable. It is not a fixed age at which every fish first breeds.
Batch or serial spawning has been reported somewhere in the species’ range. This does not establish the same spawning pattern for every population.
Recorded spawning months are Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov for the source’s reporting region (FL). This is a regional calendar, not a range-wide schedule.
Size and recorded longevity
FishTraits reports a maximum total length of 20 centimetres. Some entries use an estimated asymptotic length; this value should not be treated as a certified record catch.
Recorded longevity in the compilation is 3 years. Wild observations were preferred, but captive records were accepted where wild records were unavailable, and unspecified records were assumed wild. The value is not a guaranteed wild lifespan or an aquarium life expectancy.
