Longsnout Seahorse Care Guide
Hippocampus reidi is a western Atlantic seahorse reaching about 17.5 cm, in which the male broods eggs in a tail pouch.
Overview
Hippocampus reidi, the Longsnout or Slender Seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae from the western Atlantic. It reaches about 17.5 cm and, like other seahorses, has a prehensile tail used to grip holdfasts. Males are typically orange while females are yellow.
Taxonomy
- Family: Syngnathidae
- Genus: Hippocampus
- Scientific name: Hippocampus reidi Ginsburg, 1933
Habitat
According to FishBase, the species occurs in the western Atlantic from North Carolina (USA) to Brazil and the Caribbean Sea. It is usually attached to gorgonians or seagrasses but may occur in floating Sargassum or swim freely in midwater, at depths from 0 to about 60 m. FishBase classifies it as marine, brackish-tolerant and reef-associated.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L (about 26 gal)
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Lifespan: 3-8 years (KB record)
Diet
The KB record classifies the species as a carnivore that should be fed slowly two to three times daily. Detailed prey lists were not provided by the consulted sources; as with other seahorses, feeding is slow and deliberate, which requires calm tankmates.
Compatibility
Because seahorses feed slowly, the KB record recommends other slow feeders such as pipefish and mandarins, and advises against fast, aggressive eaters and overly active fish such as tangs that would outcompete them for food.
Breeding
FishBase reports the species is ovoviviparous: the male carries the eggs in a brood pouch under the tail, with a gestation period of about two weeks depending on water temperature, and young about 7 mm at birth. Maturity occurs at around 8 cm. Wikipedia notes the species is monogamous and pair-bonded in the wild, with courting individuals changing brown or white spots to a pink or white color.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (assessed 2016). Wikipedia notes it is listed on CITES Appendix II, with pressure from the traditional-medicine and aquarium trades.