All fish / Syngnathidae

Yellow Seahorse

Hippocampus kuda

Also known as spotted seahorse, common seahorse, estuary seahorse, kuda seahorse, yellow seahorse, black seahorse, oceanic seahorse, kuda, ม้าน้ำ, ม้าน้ำดำ, kuda laut, クロウミウマ

A classic seahorse with a horse-like head, curled prehensile tail and no scales. Adults are often yellow, black or brownish, sometimes with darker speckles, and they can change colour with mood and surroundings. People keep it for its unusual shape, gentle behaviour and the fact that males carry the young.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

22 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

A pair or small group in a species tank

Diet

Carnivore: frozen mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp and small live crustaceans, fed two or three times a day

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific: India and Pakistan east to Southeast Asia, southern Japan, Indonesia and the western Pacific islands

Breeding

The female passes her eggs into the male's brood pouch, and after about two to three weeks he releases hundreds of tiny live young. Pairs often breed in captivity, but raising the fry is difficult because they need constant supplies of live food such as rotifers and newly hatched brine shrimp.

Good to know

Listed on CITES Appendix II and Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, so wild-caught stock needs proper permits and captive-bred fish are the better choice. Keep it with slow, peaceful tankmates only, provide hitching posts, and avoid strong currents and stinging corals or anemones.