Three-Spot Seahorse (Hippocampus trimaculatus)
Fish in the family Syngnathidae. Hard care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
The Three-Spot Seahorse is a small, delicate fish with a distinctive horse-like head, curled prehensile tail, and upright swimming posture. It displays three characteristic black spots along its body, with coloration ranging from yellow to brownish or greenish tones depending on environment. The body is covered with bony rings and lacks true scales.
Diet and feeding
Feed live or frozen small crustaceans, particularly copepods, amphipods, and artemia (brine shrimp). Seahorses require multiple small meals daily and cannot compete with faster-eating fish for food.
Difficulty and care for the Three-Spot Seahorse
The Three-Spot Seahorse is a challenging species requiring very stable water parameters, frequent small feedings, and a dedicated species or peaceful-only tank. Most mortality results from starvation due to competition with other fish, or inability to adapt to captive-bred diets.
Common health issues
Marine ich, Fin Rot, Swim Bladder Disorder, Hole-in-the-Head Disease, Columnaris
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region, including waters around Indonesia, Philippines, and the Great Barrier Reef. Found in shallow seagrass beds and coral reef environments.
Log Three-Spot 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 Three-Spot Seahorse alongside everything else in your reef.
Related Fish
