About Dwarf Seahorses

Dwarf seahorses, also known as Hippocampus zosterae, are the smallest species of seahorses. Dwarf seahorses are named for their habitat, zostrae sea grass or eel grass. The tiny animals favor the sea grass because it protects them from currents and predators. They are most easily found in sea grass beds in the Gulf of Mexico in a lagoon, near a reef, or other protected space.

  1. Appearance

    • As the tiniest of the seahorses, dwarf seahorses are generally between one and two inches long in total. They have short snouts and long tails that they use to anchor themselves to the sea grass during large amounts of water movement, such as a current shift or strengthening. Most dwarf seahorses are either brown or white in color.

    Habitat

    • Dwarf seahorses prefer to hide among beds of sea grass, generally in areas where the is not much water movement such as lagoons and coral reefs. The seahorses prefer these sheltered areas because of their small size so as to not get swept away by the currents. They also tend to thrive more in warmer water. They are most often found in the Gulf of Mexico. Dwarf seahorses can exist alone, however, they prefer to remain in large groups.

    Mating

    • Dwarf seahorses have an interesting mating ritual. The male seahorse will court the female, and they will engage in a mating ritual that lasts for several days where they shake while swimming next to each other. At the end of their ritual the female lays between 10 and 50 eggs in the male's pouch. The male delivers the tiny new dwarf seahorses in only 10 days and recovers from birth very quickly.

    Food

    • Dwarf seahorses are carnivores. They eat brine, newborn shrimp and copepods. When raised in an aquarium, dwarf seahorses can sometimes be trained to eat frozen or dried food. It is usually easier to train the adults to eat frozen or dried food though they still prefer live food. Newly hatched dwarf seahorses are not generally able to eat food that isn't alive.

    As Pets

    • Dwarf seahorses are very popular as pets. They can be kept in a small aquarium and thrive well when kept in groups of four or more. They require at least 12 hours a day of ambient lighting, especially when preparing to give birth. Dwarf seahorses are high-maintenance pets as they require food at least twice a day and a large amount of light that cannot be suddenly cut on or off as it will cause the seahorse to deteriorate rapidly. Dwarf seahorses also should not be kept in tanks with high-volume water pumps and coral as both of these can cause serious injury. The seahorses are likely to wrap themselves around the coral, which causes burns. The high-powered water pumps create a large current that can cause damage to the seahorse's bony exterior.