Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Hippocampus - Seahorses

Hippocampus histrix

Kaup, 1856

Thorny Seahorse, Spiny Seahorse

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: South Africa to Hawaii, north to China and Japan and south to Tahiti and New Caledonia.

Size: 7 inches (17 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow coastal reefs and seagrass beds and often associated with sponges and sea squirts, and feeds on minute crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Somewhat common in the trade and 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 macroalgae 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: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Hippocampus histrix (Thorny Seahorse, Spiny Seahorse)
Photo © Bob Fenner
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