Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Hippocampus - Seahorses

Hippocampus hippocampus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Short-snouted Seahorse

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Eastern Atlantic Ocean: British Isles, African coast to Guinea, and also the Mediterranean Sea.

Size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coastal lagoons and shallow muddy areas and estuaries containing algae, rocks and gravel, and feeds on minute crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Common in the trade and having brown, orange, purple or black colored bodies with small 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: 59 - 79°F (15 – 26°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Hippocampus hippocampus (Short-snouted Seahorse)
Photo © Neil Garrich-Maidment
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