Kuda (Common) Seahorse

Care

The Common Seahorse, also known as the Golden, Spotted, or Kuda Seahorse, is known from seagrass beds and areas with abundant marine algae, in shallow seaward reefs, estuaries, and harbours. Adults are usually found in pairs, feeding near the substrate on various small crustaceans, but some specimens have been found in open water, attached to drifting Sargassum some 20km (12.4miles) from the shore. Most specimens seen in the aquatics trade will have been captive bred, the majority by the Tropical Marine Centre (TMC). This helps to take pressure off of the wild populations, currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species and CITES II listed. Interestingly, the common Seahorse has two main colour phases: black and yellow. The black form can be grey to black with a somewhat grainy-looking appearance, and the yellow form may be cream, yellow, or golden, with fairly large dark spots (especially in the females) and a black line running from their chest to their abdomen. The golden phase seahorses are capable of dramatic colour change, depending on their surroundings, mood, or stress, and they may take on an olive appearance when first adjusting to their new home. Other variable colour forms are far less common, but some individuals may show a mixture of black and yellow. Instead of scales, all seahorses have a layer of skin that is stretched over bony plates, visible as a series of rings around the trunk. The eyes can move independently of one another, and locomotion is powered by rapidly oscillating the dorsal fin, whilststeering with the pectorals. In this species, the coronet is typically of a low to medium height and rounded, sometimes with a cup-like depression in the top, and with a noticeable overhang at the back. The skin is not particularly spiny in this species, instead, there are low, rounded bumps, and 11 conspicuous trunk rings (plus 34-38 tail rings). In order for seahorses to thrive in captivity, they are best maintained in mature species-only aquaria, where they will not be subjected to boisterous companions and outcompeted for food. Ideally, the aquarium will provide plenty of stationary branching decor which they can grab onto with their amazing prehensile tails e.g. gorgonian skeletons, plastic plants, orlive marine greenery. As they are masters of camouflage, providing areas of golden-hueddécor is known to encourage gold phase specimens to take on their most intense colours. Water flow should be gentle so that these poor swimmers are not blown into solid surfaces; gentle current also having the added benefit of increasing their chances of finding plenty of food items. As steady feedings are required,regular partial water changes are essential (be very careful in matching the temperature and salinity of the new water to that which you have taken from the tank). The use of a small protein skimmer can be very beneficial. In addition to the requisite branching decor as mentioned above, a live sand bed plus some live rock will help to culture various prey items such as amphipods and isopods, which the seahorses can browse upon in between the times when the aquarist adds food to the tank. Many find that an adjacent refugium is extremely beneficial in keeping a constant supply of live food available to their seahorses. Before purchase, ensure that the seahorses are in good health and are feeding well (ask the shop to demonstrate). When seahorses are to be taken from an aquarium i.e. when purchasing or if moving them to different quarters, always ensure that they are herded into a suitable container or bag under the water; if they are lifted free from the water, they may well ingest air which can cause them problems. Likewise, many species can all too easily become entangled in nets and then subsequently damaged when trying to free them. The herding under technique really is the kindest method of capture. Please plan your seahorse aquarium carefully and responsibly - the primary lack of success in keeping syngnathids in captivity is starvation, which is so easily avoided. To reiterate: (1) provide a mature, stable, and gentle, "non-competitive" environment with appropriate decor, (2) ensure that there is an ongoing supply of various nutritious foods via very regular feedings, living sand/rock, and a fishless refugium, and (3) choose healthy captive-bred livestock that is provento be feeding well, and is bagged for you without exposure to air. Seahorsesare not suitable for beginners.

Feeding

Seahorses must be givenfrequent feeding sessions every day, with prey items available to them for atleast 20-30 minutes at a time. Initially, only live foods may be taken, butthey can often be weaned onto other foodstuffs over time. Offer a variety ofmeaty foods such as Mysis shrimp, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp***, various isopodsand amphipods (such as marine Gammarusshrimp), and small gut-loaded river/glass shrimp (gut-load with HUFA-rich foodsprior to feeding). Starter cultures of various marine "pods are available from anumber of sources, but be prepared to have somewhere to keep and feed them(such as a refugium).

*** Important note: never relysolely on brineshrimp for feeding your seahorses, as it is one of the leastnutritious foods available, lacking the HUFAs of other marine fare.

Breeding

The Common Seahorse is
regularly captive-bred for the trade, taking pressure off the vulnerable wild
populations; it has also been bred in the home aquarium. This species is
monogamous, and prior to breeding, the couple will begin an elaborate courtship
ritual where the male dances around the female, whilst changing colour and
producing clicking sounds. After a time, the pair will entwine their tails and
float together over the substrate. They will then turn belly to belly and the
female will insert her ovipositor into the males brood pouch (which is located
on his belly, under the tail) and lays her eggs. The male then fertilises the
eggs, which subsequently become embedded into the walls of the pouch. The brood
size is quite variable, depending on the age and size of the parents, but will
typically number around 200-300 on average. The courtship ritual will then
continue for some time, even after the male has become pregnant. Some 20-28
days later, the male goes into labour (usually at night), and this can be quite
a strenuous task that involves much thrusting, sometimes over the course of
several hours, until all of the young seahorses are released. There is no
parental care, the pelagic young are fully independent and fend for themselves,
usually attaching themselves to decor or greenery near the surface. They measure
around 7mm/0.28" when born, and can be fed baby brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii) straight away. It may
be of interest to know that 5 generations of this species have been
successfully kept and raised at one public aquarium.