TankBud

Lined seahorse

Hippocampus erectus

Also known as Northern seahorse, Spotted seahorse, Horse fish, Atlantic seahorse

SaltwaterFish

Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus)
MattSullivan from Boston, MA, USA · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
8.0–8.4
Adult size
7.1 in
18 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Pouch brooder · Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Syngnathidae
Origin
Native to the western Atlantic from Canada to the Caribbean, clinging to seagrass, sponges and floating weed in calm water.

Overview

The lined seahorse is a hardy Atlantic seahorse for a tall, calm species tank, though it still needs an experienced keeper.

Did you know

The lined seahorse was the first seahorse raised commercially for the aquarium trade, and captive-bred stock is now widely available.

Caring for the lined seahorse

Keep lined seahorses in a species tank of at least 29 gal (110 L) that is taller than it is wide. Give them gentle flow and plenty of hitching posts. Hold the water at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.0 to 8.4. It tolerates cooler water than tropical seahorses, which helps keep bacterial problems down.

Buy captive-bred fish, which are far hardier than wild ones. Feed enriched frozen mysis shrimp once or twice a day, since seahorses have no stomach and digest food fast.

Keep them in pairs or small groups, as they are social and slow feeders. House them only with other slow, docile tank mates. Never add fast fish that outcompete them, or stinging corals and anemones.

The female deposits her eggs into a pouch on the male's belly, where he fertilizes and carries them for a couple of weeks. He then gives birth to dozens of tiny, fully formed young. Breeding them is moderately hard.

Good to know

The lined seahorse grips plants and decor with its prehensile tail and hovers upright, sculling with a tiny back fin. It ranges in color from black and brown to orange and yellow, often with fine pale lines down the neck. It moves slowly and feeds by sucking up tiny prey through its tube snout.

In the wild

The lined seahorse lives in the western Atlantic, from Canada to the Caribbean. It clings to seagrass, sponges and floating weed in calm water.

Common questions

What size tank does a lined seahorse need?

A lined seahorse needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a lined seahorse need?

A lined seahorse is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.

What does a lined seahorse eat?

A lined seahorse eats enriched frozen mysis shrimp, fed once or twice a day. It has no stomach and digests food fast.

How big does a lined seahorse get?

An adult lined seahorse reaches about 7.1 in (18 cm).

How does a lined seahorse breed?

A female lined seahorse deposits her eggs into a pouch on the male's belly. He fertilizes and carries them for a couple of weeks, then gives birth to dozens of tiny, fully formed young. Breeding them is moderately hard.

Related species