INDIAN ROYAL GREEN PIPE FISH

ORIGIN

Microphis Deocata is an awesome species if and only if you can get your hands on them. Originating from the Brahmaputra river basin, they're thought to exist even in the Surma river basin and other adjoining areas. They are almost non-existent in the aquarium trade. If I correctly remember I saw them a couple of times in the local fish market under a name which I didn't even remember; it was way back during the '90s. On repeated requests to my father to buy few of them, he refused to say they're not the ones to be kept as pets in containers as they die readily (few of them were alive and were sluggish in their movements). They're also found in adjoining Bangladesh and its rivers and tributaries, but are quickly getting almost extinct because of the overfishing and pollution.

SIZE AND GENDER

Generally not reaching more than 7 inches they have a slender body almost representing sea horses and saltwater pipefishes. The females are stunningly coloured whilst the males are dull. The females are blessed with a "sail" which it displays during the mating season. The body colour somewhat is more of greenish shade and few of them have their upper body painted in natural brown.

FEEDING HABIT 

They are generally shy species and are very sensitive towards competitors in the tank if they are kept. Its always better to keep them in species-specific aquariums. They feed of crustaceans and micro- aquatic life. In order to replicate their natural habitat a feed of microcrustaceans and daphnias are provided. Eggs or micro juveniles are readily accepted by them because of their inability to feed on bigger preys. Their small mouth size restricts their freedom to choose from a wide array of food Choices and as such because of the disappearance of their food or poor water quality these species are suffering a lot.

HEALTH 

In order to maintain the best of their health and to avoid transportation shocks, they should be acclimated very carefully and only be kept in a "fully mature setup". They're heavily susceptible to changes in water quality and can easily perish. To mimic their natural environment eel grasses/vallisneria/ cryptocornea and such type of slender looking plants are to be used in the setup. It becomes easy for them to hide and feel at home and as such it helps in the overall development of the species. Thought to be a very hard species to be kept in the aquarium, actually if the proper environment is provided and proper guidelines are followed they're not going to be affected and will live long.

Water parameters include a bit on the basic side with the best pH of 6 to 8 with a temperature of 20 to 28 degrees. A dGH hardness of 2 to 9 is best for their longevity.

TANKMATES

One thing is a complete no-no, is keeping them with other species because of their overtly shy nature and non-competitiveness for food. They might be bullied to starvation and so it becomes utterly necessary to keep them with their own species. Since they represent sea horses family and other pipefishes they can be kept with somewhat similar species-specific tankmates.

BREEDING HABITS

After all the negative effects that I have quoted earlier, I still will emphasize on the fact that they are a stunning species to had because of their mating behaviours. During courtship, the females display a sail-like display of their body. The male will fertilize the eggs in the pouch of the female body and the female will deposit the eggs in the male pouch; after around 18-20 days the eggs will hatch whereby the males will brood them until they reach maturity. 

In many cases it has been observed that the females produce way too many eggs then the males could carry and as a result, it becomes very difficult for the males. 

The offspring are to be fed brine shrimps or infusoria because of their very small mouths until they reach maturity.

VARIETIES

Not too many varieties are available I have heard of. Since reproduction is very hard in this species as a result hybrid aren't almost possible. Although few LPS in my vicinity have reported having seen complete green species I highly doubt the authenticity of their information.

DISEASES

They should be checked for signs of bacterial infection during buying and introducing into the new tanks. It's always advisable to keep them separately for few days before being introduced into the new tank. Look for their overall health-related issues and information provided on the internet before introducing or buying them locally or ordering them online.

CONCLUSION

To be honest I would never try to have them because of them being a threatened species and or they being a very hard species to have. I once remember coming across a seller in Facebook trying to lure buyers into believing that they are selling the true species and as such my personal suggestion would be to first get the real pictures before you get them so that you are not cheated upon your money.

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