Seahorses

My History

Wanted saltwater

Needed smaller/less expensive

Needed my wife to sign off

So tried dwarf seahorses

Seahorses:what are

they?Are they fish?

What else would they be?

Family syngnathidae

“fused jaw”

Genus hippocampus

“horse” “sea monster”

Seahorse “cousins”

Sea Dragons

Pipefish

Sea Robins

Pipehorses

Sea Moths

Trumpet fish

Seahorse speciesApprox. 34 known

Common in hobby:

Reidi

Erectus

Kuda

Barbouri

Kelloggi

Seahorse AnatomyArmored fish

Head of a horse

Crown like unicorn

Independent eyes like chameleon

Tail like a monkey

Male gives birth in pouch like a kangaroo

HusbandryWild caught (WC) vs. Captive Bred (CB) vs. Tank Raised (TR)

Must get terminology straight

Wild caught - same problems as with other fish

QT!!!!!!!!!!!

No mixing

Captive Bred - not taken from the wild + healthier, easier to feed fish = no brainer!

Husbandry Tank size

Height important

25g min. (IMO)

Tank setup

Low flow

To skim or not to skim?

affects fish coloration?

HusbandryTank mates

rule of thumb - nothing that competes for food, stings, or moves too fast

corals - gorgonians, mushrooms, leathers, etc.

fish - firefish, mandarins, etc.

Husbandry

Feeding

they have no stomach or teeth

they “snick” their food

Eat mostly small crustaceans

Fascinating to watch!

HusbandryBreeding

Many species are believed to be monogamous

The courting “dance”

Change color

MALES carry eggs & give birth!!!!!

Often give birth to hundreds of fry who are independent from birth

Excursus: Dwarf seahorses

Dwarf Seahorses

Hippocampus zosterae

smallest SHs available in the hobby

Max. of 2”

Found mainly off coast in Gulf of Mexico

Largely collected in FL

Prolific breeders

Husbandry

Wild Caught vs. Captive Bred

CB hard to find and expensive

Not as many issues with WC dwarfs

Still quite abundant in the wild

HusbandryFeeding

Perhaps most difficult aspect

Require live food - even CB!!

Live baby brine shrimp (BBS)

Live enriched brine shrimp

pods & rotifers (thus, cultures)

On RARE occasions - frozen cyclopeeze

Don’t count on this!!!!

HusbandryTank size

Conventional wisdom not so conventional

Smaller is better!

Why? Dwarves are very small and don’t hunt food well

Need sufficient amount of food to float by

Thus feeding density (livestock to available food ratio) is paramount

Max. size of 5g is best

easily fits a dozen + offspring

HusbandryEnemy #1 - Hydroids

Sting dwarves to death

Eat same food, so they reproduce quickly

Hitchhike in on LR, LS - virtually anything

so these things must be “dead” or treated

even then, treatment may be necessary

Husbandry

Breeding

Standard seahorse reproduction

Fry live right alongside parents

Eat the same food as parents

Conservation

Conservation

World Conservation Union lists 9 species as vulnerable, 1 endangered (capensis)

All others listed as “data deficient”

Conservation

What’s threatening them?

Traditional Chinese medicine

Aquarium trade

Curios

“Bycatch”

Conservation

How can we help?

Support CB breeders

Avoid curios

Consider breeding your own

Resources & Thanks

www.seahorse.com

www.seahorsesource.com

www.seahorse.org

Coral Dynamics

www.dracomarine.org

The Complete Guide to Dwarf Seahorses by Alisa Abbott