[2] It occurs in the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern Andaman Sea, through the Malay Archipelago to the Western Pacific as far east as New Guinea and the northern Great Barrier Reef.

[2] It is a small, drab-coloured pipehorse which is very well camouflaged among sandy and silty habitats,[1] although it is usually found on substrates of coral rubble or in areas of sparse algal growth.

[3] It has a prehensile tail similar to that of a seahorse but it lacks an angled head and swims with its body held in a horizontal position.

[1] Like other syngnathids it is ovoviviparous and the males hold the developing eggs in a brood pouch located on the underside of its body.

[3] A breviperula was previously thought to be a synonym of Acentronura tentaculata but is now considered to be a valid species with A. tenticulata restricted to the Red Sea.