Seahorse Aquaculture
Marie Barton
University of Alabama
2013 DISL
Taxonomy
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Family: Syngnathidae
Hippocampus kuda
H. reidi
H. erectus
H. barbouri
H. abdominalis
H. breviceps
H. comes
H. ingens
• Captive-bred seahorses first
recorded in 2002
• In past decade, risen from 1%
of total seahorse trade to 99%
today
Economic importance, market price,
locations, country
• Conservation
▫ H. capensis in Hawaii
▫ Mote marine lab
• Dried seahorses- traditional
medicine
▫ $100-300/kg
• Live- ornamental fish
▫ $100-900/animal
• Australia, NZ, MX, China, Ireland
and UK, India, Indonesia, USA, S.
Africa, Thailand, Vietnam
▫ Developed and developing countries
Life cycle & larval stages
Reproduction in Captivity
• Complex mating process
▫ Male courts female with
dancing, color change, clicking
sounds
• Male carries fertilized eggs for
20-30 days
• Up to 10 broods/yr
• 200-1000 animals/brood
• Monogamous
Production Methods
• Hatchery: Broodstock are kept in cages in calm
bay or indoor tanks
• Nursery: 1 day after spawning, fry transferred to
tank with biofilter, UV sterilization and ozone
▫ Stocked 1-2/L
• Growout: 40 days later, transferred to cages or
indoor tanks
▫ Initial density 500/m³, after growth 200/m³
Production methods
• Large-scale production
in Vietnam
Hippocampus comes
Fry production tank
Adult tank
Feeds and feeding
• Larvae eat plankton, juveniles and adults
eat small crustaceans, full grown adults
need some small fish too
• All prefer live food
▫ Expensive
▫ Conservation growers commonly grow
plankton for larvae on site
• Most commercial aquaculture uses frozen
food
▫ Harder to train/wean but if successful, will
be hardier
▫ Artemia
• Varied diet important to health
▫ Supplements, alternate live and dead/frozen
food
Water chemistry and environmental
requirements
• Pristine water
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Salinity: 15-35 ppt
Ammonia and nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: <20 ppm
DO: 6-8 ppm
• Temperature
▫ 20-28°C
• pH
▫ 8-8.3
• Tall tank
• Current flow in part
• Floating space
Advantages & Disadvantages
• High market value, low
production cost
• Protected when most
vulnerable by male’s pouch
• Quick growth in some species
▫ 3-6 months
• High fecundity
▫ 1000 babies/brood
• Fast gestation
▫ ~8 broods/yr
• Some species hardy
▫ Cage raised
• Disease susceptible
• High risk
• Must maintain pristine water
conditions if grown indoor
• Poor digestion of food
▫ Quick fouling
• If stressed at all, no
productivity
▫ Easily stressed
• Requires much understanding