Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Hippocampus - Seahorses

Hippocampus kuda

Bleeker, 1852

Spotted Seahorse, Oceanic Seahorse, Common Seahorse, Yellow Seahorse

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: India and Pakistan to Southern Japan, and south to Hawaii and Society Islands.

Size: 12 inches (30 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits mangroves, estuaries, seagrass beds and muddy slopes on seaward reefs, and also drifting Sargassum and feeds on minute crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Common in the trade and usually black or brown, but also yellow or cream with large dark 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 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.

These seahorses belong to a group of 10 seahorses called the Kuda Complex, which may contain 10 separate species or sub-species.

Captive bred specimens available.

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: 75 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5

 Hippocampus kuda (Spotted Seahorse, Oceanic Seahorse, Common Seahorse, Yellow Seahorse)
Photo © Bob Goemans
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