Taxonomy & naming
Bleeker described the species in 1854 as Doryichthys deokhatoides. Stores still sell it under that genus, but Catalog of Fishes places it in Microphis, in the family Syngnathidae.
Morphology
A long, rigid, armoured pipefish with a tubular snout. FishBase gives a maximum length of 7.5 in SL.
Habitat
FishBase lists it as a freshwater benthopelagic fish of the Mekong basin in Laos and Thailand, the Chao Phraya basin, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. It is usually associated with river stretches with slow current, among grasses, roots or shore vegetation.
Feeding
A wild diet is not given in FishBase. Like other pipefishes it takes small live crustaceans and similar prey.
Mating
Courtship has not been described for this species.
Breeding
FishBase records ovoviviparous reproduction, with the male carrying the eggs in a brood pouch under the tail. Males may already be brooding at 5.5 in SL.
In the aquarium
A fish for a calm, planted tank with live food and gentle company. FishBase gives no water chemistry range for the species, so aim for soft, clean, slow-moving water like that of a lowland river.
Conservation
The IUCN assessed Microphis deokhatoides as Data Deficient in 2018.