Semispinosus Seahorse Male

Male Semispinosus Seahorse, Hippocampus semispinosus, also go by the name Half Spined Seahorse. These fish make are great options for marine tanks and are fun to keep. Semispinosus Seahorse can show a variety of colour. Females can be from yellow to red. Whereas males can be from yellow to brown and sometimes have white dashes.

Seahorses get their name from their elegant, elongated snout and curved neck which looks like a horse. In fact, their Etymology is “horse” (hippos) and “sea monster” (kámpos)

Seahorse, pipefish and sea dragons all belong to the Syngnathidae family. These ray finned fish have an odd body plan. For instance, Male Semispinosus seahorses swim upright in the water, rather than horizontally. An adaptation thought to help them to hide in seagrasses. Seahorses use their dorsal fin for forward motion, while other ray finned fish use their tail and caudal fin. Instead of a caudal fin, Seahorses have a flexible tail they use for grasping.

Semispinosus Seahorse Male or Half Spined Seahorse Ecology.

In the wild, Male Semispinosus Seahorses occur in Indonesia and Australia, in the Western Central Pacific. They live in shallow coastal habitats. Although, they do occur offshore as well. These fish are mostly seen near mangroves and muddy channels. Sometimes they have algae growing on them which could help them hide.

Arguably, seahorses are most famous for their unusual reproduction. Courtship can include dances and colour changes depending on the type. The female will drop her eggs in to a brood pouch on the male’s ventral side.  He will then fertilize and carry his eggs.

Hippocampus semispinosus, in the aquarium.

It is important to have plenty of nooks or crannies where your Male Semispinosus Seahorse can anchor itself and feel at home.

Seahorses do best when fed a varied diet. Here they are eating frozen Mysis, frozen brineshrimp, frozen copepods, ocean nutrition fish eggs. We enrich all our frozen food with seachem garlic guard and Atvitol vitamins. These are great for keeping fish healthy by giving them nutrition otherwise lost in frozen food. In doing so, these additives support their immune system and increase longevity.

Male Semispinosus Seahorses will also eat live foods, such as copepods, that can be cultivated in attached refugium. They will even occasionally go after river shrimp, which can be fun to watch. Our seahorses are adapted to aquarium life before being sold. Meaning they are eating frozen food when they leave us.

You can keep Male Semispinosus Seahorses in pairs or groups. They are not the fastest of swimmers so keepers may wish to use a feeder or tweezers. Feel free to give us a call for advice on a seahorse set up and keeping.