Origin
Hippocampus kuda or the golden seahorse is the best known and most popular member of the family Syngnathidae, the genus Syngnathiformes.
It is a saltwater fish native to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans considered these small sea creatures a symbol of power, being associated with the sea god Poseidon/Neptune.
In European mythology, these seahorses were believed to guide the souls of those who lost their lives at sea, helping them reach the underworld and protecting them until they found peace.
You can find them in the international literature with the following names: common seahorse, estuary seahorse or yellow seahorse and, of course, by the scientific name Hippocampus kuda.
Golden seahorse food
Eating seahorses can be a problem, as these fish have very small mouths and only eat small marine animals such as shrimp or even Guppy chicks.
Most of the aquarists who own such fish also breed shrimp, because seahorses need to eat at least 4 times a day.
Kuda horses are demanding in terms of maintenance. Often they are peaceful in relation to other fish in the aquarium. They are a carnivorous horse species. It prefers a wide range of invertebrates.
They feed on various varieties of shrimp, especially mysid and grass, mosquitoes and larvae.
Characteristics and description golden seahorse
As the name implies, the golden seahorse has the appearance of a miniature horse. Rather, its head resembles that of a horse, with an elongated snout.
The eyes are normally positioned and move independently of each other. The trunk of this fish is slightly curved, and the tail is long and prehensile.
As for the color, it can be as varied as possible, in golden shades from beige to yellow. There are also black specimens that have small light spots.
All seahorses have the ability to change their color depending on the environment in which they live. The body is not covered by scales, but shows certain very strong bone formations.
The dimensions that Hippocampus kuda can reach range from 7 to 17 cm; the Seahorse swims in an upright position, tilting its body according to the direction it wants to follow. The difference between the female and the male is visible, the latter presenting at the base of the abdomen an incubator sac.
The number of aquarists who venture to host in their aquarium such marine life is not large. They are not very difficult to maintain, but the aquarium must be arranged according to certain strict rules.
If in the natural environment seahorses spend most of their time around coral reefs, playing and clinging to them with the help of prehensile tails, the aquarium should also be arranged to imitate the natural environment as much as possible.
Moreover, the golden seahorse swims very rarely and prefers a quiet environment.
Breeding golden seahorse
Reproduction is not easy either. As we have said before, the male holds on the abdomen a sac where the female lays eggs after the male "woos"her.
After 4-5 weeks of egg fertilization, the male will give birth to dozens of Cubs.
They are very difficult to grow at first because they have to be fed tiny pieces of food.
