All fish / Syngnathidae

Flat-faced Seahorse

Hippocampus planifrons

Also known as false-eye seahorse, false eye seahorse, flatface seahorse, flat-face seahorse, hippocampus biocellatus, shark bay seahorse, 平额海马

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This is a small seahorse with a short, flattened snout and usually a pair of dark eye-like spots on the side of the body, set against a yellow, tan or mottled background. It lives in shallow seagrass and weedy areas in northern and western Australia. Keepers value it for its unusual markings and calm behaviour, and most animals offered for sale are captive-bred.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

21 to 26 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

A pair or small group, kept in a species tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Northern and western Australia, from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Queensland

Breeding

The female passes her eggs into the male's brood pouch, where he fertilises and carries them until he releases fully formed young. Pairs breed readily in a well-kept aquarium, but raising the tiny fry needs a steady supply of live food such as rotifers and newly hatched brine shrimp, so rearing them takes some skill.

Good to know

All seahorses are listed on CITES Appendix II and Australia strictly controls wild exports, so buy captive-bred stock with paperwork. Keep them away from fast or aggressive tankmates and stinging corals, and give them gentle water flow and plenty of hitching posts.