Origin
Hippocampus reidi or the long-snouted seahorse is a species of saltwater fish.
It is part of the family Syngnathidae and has its origins in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the Bahams, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, USA and Venezuela, being loved by many aquarists who want their aquarium to be an exotic and unusual.
As the name implies, the long-snouted seahorse has the appearance of a miniature horse. Better to say, only the upper part resembles the bust of a horse, because the seahorse has a long and prehensile tail.
The only difference between this species and an ordinary seahorse is the protruding snout.
Feeding long-snouted seahorse
The long-snouted seahorse is a carnivorous fish, feeding mainly on small invertebrates.
In captivity, however, it is good that the diet of these fish should be as varied and balanced as possible.
Features and description long snout seahorse
The maximum size that a seahorse with a long snout can reach is 18 cm. The differences between males and females are evident primarily because of the color, as the colors of males are much stronger than those of females.
Usually males are orange in color, and females are yellow. It is interesting that in the case of seahorses, the color is variable, they manage to change color depending on the environment.
So, long-snouted seahorses can have several colors and sometimes show brown spots, which can turn pink or even white during the mating season. To develop properly, the long-snouted seahorse needs a lot of space, so an aquarium of about 150 l would be ideal.
Suitable temperature is between 23-26gr C, and PH between 8.1-8.4. The aquarium should be tall enough and can be decorated with numerous plants. It is quite difficult to accommodate life in the aquarium, so it is good that at first The Seahorses do not feel too stressed.
Too bright light will disturb them, so it is good that at first the aquarium to be kept away from the light as possible. The presence of other more energetic fish is likely to stress them out. Long-snouted seahorses are very docile and friendly.
Breeding long-snouted seahorse
Breeding in captivity of long-snouted seahorses is possible and not very difficult. Females and males are easy to differentiate.
However, not always the couple chosen for breeding will mate. Long-snouted seahorses reach sexual maturity around the age of 8 months. Males have an incubator sac on the abdomen, and when they are ready for mating they will expose the female to the incubator sac that becomes more pronounced.
During breeding the long snout seahorses will change their color. The mating ritual can last several days, and at the end of it the female will lay the eggs in the incubator sac of the male.
Gestation lasts between 14-28 days and, during this time, the male becomes more sedentary and refuses even food. Very often there are cases of premature birth.
After birth, the Cubs are transported to an aquarium with clean, well-oxygenated and heated water. It is good that they do not contact the air under any circumstances.
The male can also be moved with the Cubs after birth, so that after a few days it can be moved to the main aquarium.
