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Multibar pipefish

Dunckerocampus multiannulatus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth7–32 m
  • Water temperature25–30 °C
  • Best monthsFebruary, March, and October
  • How commonRare
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Photo credit: (c) Tom Heijnen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Heijnen · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

Dunckerocampus multiannulatus is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is widespread in the Indian Ocean, from the Red Sea and South Africa to the Andaman Islands and Sumatra, Indonesia. It inhabits coral and rocky reefs to depths of 45 metres (148 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 18 centimetres (7.1 in). It is an active cleaner, feeding on small crustaceans that grow on other fishes. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs and giving birth to live young. Males may brood at 13 centimetres (5.1 in).

Text from the Wikipedia article “Dunckerocampus multiannulatus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 4 records
  • February: 6 records
  • March: 7 records
  • April: 6 records
  • May: 2 records
  • June: 2 records
  • July: 2 records
  • August: 2 records
  • September: 2 records
  • October: 8 records
  • November: 5 records
  • December: 3 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 7–32 m · Deepest record: 32.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 2 records
  • 10–20 m: 4 records
  • 20–30 m: 6 records
  • 30–40 m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 25–30 °C

  • 24–26 °C: 5 records
  • 26–28 °C: 11 records
  • 28–30 °C: 6 records

Names and classification

English
Multibar pipefish, many-banded pipefish, Many-bands Pipefish, multibar pipefish
Names in 2 more languages
French
Syngnathe annelé
Simplified Chinese
多带矛吻海龙, 多帶矛吻海龍, 多环斑节海龙, 多環斑節海龍

Other scientific names: Doryichthys multiannulatus, Doryramphus multiannulatus, Doryrhamphus multiannulatus, Dunckerocamphus multiannulatus, Dunckerocampus bentuviae, Dunckerocampus ben-tuviae

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 53 open-data records from 1903 to 2015.
  • Species data updated November 2, 2026.

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