Hippocampus bleekeri - T.B.

Hippocampus bleekeri, commonly known as Bleeker's seahorse, is one of the largest seahorses. It looks very similar to H. abdominalis and genetic studies will find out whether this species will be regarded as synonym in the future. For now the ones with spines on the head will be regarded as bleekeri. Their basic colour is cream-white to yellow and they've black spots. Especially the males have large and dark spots on their head and neck compared to the females. Males also have a very prominent poach when mature, in which they carry the fry. Females have large bellies as well and also have a longer tail compared to males.

H. bleekeri can be found atttached to seaweed or corals looking for crustaceans like copepods and amphipods. They do swim around after the sun sets. They inhabit temperate waters so are not suitable for the average saltwater tank! Because seahorses don't have a stomach they need to eat the entire day. Baby seahorses have been observed to eat over 3000 pieces a day and adults usually eat 30-50 times a day. This also makes up the biggest challenge in keeping seahorses, you need to make sure they can eat all day. And because they usually only eat live or frozen food, this is hard to automate.

Besides their constant need for food, their swimming ability also needs to be kept in mind. Seahorses can handle quit some flow, but they lack stamina, so they do need zones with little flow and something to hold on to, so they can rest. Also try to prevent strong stinging corals like Euphyllia and some other LPS and anemones. Most soft corals and SPS are fine though. The other way around, because seahorses hold on to the corals they sometimes can irritate/damage the corals, especially if they always grab on to the same spot. Keep all this in mind when setting up a seahorse aquarium and they'll be the stars of the aquarium!

This fish is Tank Bred and will adapt to your aquarium easier compared to a wild caught specimen!