Longsnout Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi)
Fish in the family Syngnathidae. Hard care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
Hippocampus reidi is a small seahorse with an elongated, curved body and a distinctly long, slender snout. Coloration varies from yellow, orange, red, or brown, often with banded patterns. They have a prehensile tail and a pronounced coronet (crown-like structure) on the head.
Diet and feeding
Seahorses are carnivores requiring live copepods, amphipods, and other small crustaceans. They do not readily accept frozen or prepared foods and require frequent feeding of live zooplankton.
Difficulty and care for the Longsnout Seahorse
Longsnout seahorses are challenging for hobbyists due to their requirement for live food, sensitivity to water quality, low aggression making them susceptible to outcompeting by tank mates, and difficulty acclimating to captivity. They are best kept by experienced aquarists.
Common health issues
Starvation (live food availability), water quality stress, bacterial infections, gas bubble disease, pouch infections (in males)
Origin and habitat
Western Atlantic, from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and south to Brazil. Found in seagrass beds, mangroves, and shallow coastal waters.
Log Longsnout 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 Longsnout Seahorse alongside everything else in your reef.
Related Fish
