The Dragonface Pipefish is a poor swimmer and prefers to travel by sliding its body over substrate and live rock similar to the way a snake moves. The Dragonface Pipefish can also use its tail to loosely anchor itself to corals or rocks.

The Dragonface Pipefish is among the hardiest pipefish, but is difficult to keep due to its unusual feeding requirements. It normally prefers to eat only live copepods in a mature reef aquarium with plenty of live rock or macroalgae.