freshwater pipefish
Ichthyocampus carce
- Usual depth0–1 m
- Water temperature28–29 °C
- Best monthsMarch
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Teja Yantrapalli, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Ichthyocampus carce, also known as the freshwater pipefish or Indian freshwater pipefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Syngnathidae. It can be found mainly in freshwater streams, rivers, and estuaries located in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, from Indonesia to the western coast of India. It can live in both inland and coastal waters. This species can grow to a length of 15cm and feeds primarily on small invertebrates and zooplankton. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity, in which the males carry eggs in a brood pouch before giving live birth. Males of this species can brood roughly 280 offspring at a time.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Ichthyocampus carce”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 1 records
- February: 1 records
- March: 17 records
- April: 2 records
- May: 5 records
- June: 1 records
- July: 1 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 1 records
- October: 0 records
- November: 1 records
- December: 3 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–1 m · Deepest record: 1 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 28–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- freshwater pipefish, Indian Freshwater Pipefish
Names in 2 more languages
- Thai
- ปลาจิ้มฟันจระเข้น้ำกร่อย, ปลาจิ้มฟันจระเข้ปากสั้น
- Simplified Chinese
- 恆河魚海龍, 恒河鱼海龙
Other scientific names: Ichthyocampus ponticerianus, Syngnathus carce
Similar species
Banded PipefishCorythoichthys flavofasciatus
Bloodspot PipefishCorythoichthys haematopterus
Banded pipefishCorythoichthys intestinalis
Bluestripe pipefishDoryrhamphus excisus
Banded PipefishDunckerocampus dactyliophorus
banded pipefishFilicampus tigris
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).
- 23 open-data records from 1822 to 1970.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.