Pot-bellied Seahorse

About

The big-belly seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) is the largest seahorse species in the world, and one look at a mature specimen tells you exactly how it earned its name. That dramatically rounded abdomen is not just endearing. It serves a real purpose, as with all seahorses it is the male who carries the developing young in a specialized brood pouch. Native to the temperate coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand, these seahorses are typically found clinging to kelp beds, seagrass meadows, and rocky reef structures, often in surprisingly cool, nutrient-rich water. They are ambush predators in the most patient sense, anchoring themselves with their prehensile tails and waiting for small crustaceans and other invertebrates to drift within range. In the aquarium, they are considered one of the more manageable seahorse species partly because of their size, which makes them better candidates for captive-raised diets than many of their smaller relatives. That said, they still demand an experienced keeper who understands seahorse husbandry. Slow feeders like these can easily lose out to faster tankmates. Captive-bred individuals are strongly preferred and are far more likely to accept frozen mysis shrimp than wild-caught fish.