Hippocampus erectus

Perry, 1810

Lined Seahorse, Northern Seahorse

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Nova Scotia, Canada, northern Gulf of Mexico to Panama and Venezuela and Brazil.

Size: 7 inches (17 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coastal waters around manmade structures and seagrass beds, gorgonian corals and floating Sargassum, and feeds on minute crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade and having several different body colors, e.g., brown, orange, yellow, light grey, red or black, and may have white spots. Requires an environment that is well-suited to these slow moving fishes, i.e., having slow moving water currents, preferably low light, and structures or large microalgae growths that can be used to grab-on and support itself.

As to diet, meaty foods consisting of enriched live adult brine shrimp and/or enriched frozen mysis shrimp, and fed several times daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Syngnathiformes

Suborder: Syngnathoidei

Family: Syngnathidae

Genus: Hippocampus

FYI: Tankmates should be limited to species such as pipefish/mandarins.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Their own private environment/special tankmates

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons

Temperature Range: 70 - 82°F (21 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5