BrackishSaltwater
Spotted seahorse
Hippocampus kuda
Syngnathidae, Syngnathinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 30 cm
- Body shape
- Other
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 648 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in American Samoa, Australia, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, and 43 more countries.
Introduced to Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, and Türkiye.
More about the species
Description
Inhabit seagrass and marine algae areas of estuaries and seaward reefs; also on steep mud slopes. Found in open water and attached to drifting Sargassum up to 20 km from shore. Adults in pairs. Benthic to pelagic. Feeds on zooplankton. Ovoviviparous. The males carry the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail. Not shown to be monogamous in the laboratory. Very popular aquarium fish. Highly valued species in traditional Chinese medicine. Has been reared in captivity.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Hippocamphus kuda
- Hippocampus aterrimus
- Hippocampus chinensis
- Hippocampus hilonis
- Hippocampus horai
- Hippocampus kuda multiannularis
In other languages
- Gul Sjöhäst
- Plettet søhest
- Common seahorse, Estuarine seahorse, Estuary seahorse, Oceanic sea horse, Oceanic sea horse red, Sea horse, Seahorse, Yellow sea horse, Yellow seahorse
Articles
All articles
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.