Potbelly Seahorse
Hippocampus
abdominalis 
Identification: Potbelly seahorses can be
black, brown, tan, or variegated; their colors often
intensify during courtship. This species has an especially large
abdomen
Maximum Length: 8.0"
Origin: Rocky reefs and seagrass beds in the Pacific Ocean around Tasmania, New Zealand and Australia.
Minimum tank size: 25 Gallons
Behavior: Very Peaceful, Needs a quiet aquarium.
Feeding and diet: A variety of plankton,
worms and crustacean larvae, ghost shrimp, mysis shrimp
and brine shrimp. Seahorses suck in their food and swallow it whole because
they
do not have teeth.
Reproduction: Among seahorses, only the male
becomes pregnant. The male initiates courtship around
the time of the full moon by inflating his brood pouch. If the female is
interested, the pair
swim in synchronization, sometimes with tails entwined. The female seahorse
deposits eggs
into the male's brood pouch, where they are fertilized by the male and develop.
The gestation
period for seahorses ranges from 10 days up to 60 days, depending upon the
species. For
potbelly seahorses, it is believed to be around 20 days. The tiny young
seahorses are born
fully formed. They receive no parental care and are independent from birth.
Seahorses reach
maturity in approximately six months.
Availability: These species are being “Captive Bred” for the aquarium market and make a good choice.
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