Barbour's Seahorse (Hippocampus barbouri)
Fish in the family Syngnathidae. Expert care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
Barbour's Seahorse is a small, ornate seahorse with a slender body and prehensile tail. Coloration typically ranges from tan to brown with darker banding or mottling, and some individuals display reddish or yellowish hues. It features a prominent snout and various skin appendages (cirri) along the body that help with camouflage.
Diet and feeding
Feed small live foods such as copepods, mysis shrimp, amphipods, and other small crustaceans. Seahorses are poor competitors and need frequent, gentle feeding to ensure adequate caloric intake.
Difficulty and care for the Barbour's Seahorse
Barbour's Seahorse is an expert-level species requiring pristine water conditions, consistent live food availability, a calm tank environment free of aggressive tankmates, and careful observation for feeding. Not recommended for beginners.
Common health issues
Starvation, poor water quality sensitivity, head-and-tail rot, parasitic infections, low copepod availability
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region, particularly found in seagrass beds and shallow coral reef environments from Indonesia to the Philippines and surrounding areas.
Log Barbour's Seahorse in your reef tank
Reef Trak gives you the full record on every species in your tank: acquisition date, source, photos, parameters at time of stocking, and links to maintenance and feeding events. Track Barbour's Seahorse alongside everything else in your reef.
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