Our range of seahorses has expanded from the one species - Southern Knights (Australia’s best known seahorse) - to four and further species are planned for the future. Seahorse Australia is also able to source some other Australian seahorse species.

Seahorse Australia provides farm-bred seahorses for the general aquarium market, helping conservation of these fascinating creatures in the wild. Their ability to eat frozen food, readily available from most pet shops or aquarium outlets has revolutionised the keeping of these creatures in home aquaria. Several other wild-caught species are also supplied under CITES approved government permits for public aquaria and specialists.

Advantages of captive-bred seahorses over wildstock:

• Easy to feed – weaned onto frozen mysid shrimp
• Robust and disease-free
• Beautifully coloured
• Happily live in aquariums,
• Court regularly
• Very social
• Live up to 5 years of age

Our varieties of captive-bred seahorses available are:

Temperate (16-20^oC)

Southern Knights
Southern Champions

Tropical (24-28 ^oC)

Chargers
Asian Emperors

Wild-caught under permit seahorses:

West Australian Seahorse
Western Spiny Seahorse

Further details below.

Overseas customers please note, due to shipping costs from Australia the price of seahorses in your country will vary from the shop price listed below. Contact your distributor or us for details.

Southern Knights (Hippocampus abdominalis/bleekeri) Pot-bellied seahorse.

Colour: Individuals typically have dark spots, and they may be white, golden or sometimes orange. Colour can be influenced by their environment.

Natural habitat: This seahorse inhabits waters around southern Australia and Tasmania.

Young - are born relatively large (18 – 25 mm), and are benthic from birth (readily hold on to things with their tail). They are one of the most popular species of young to raise among aquarists.

Aquarium requirements: Minimum size 60-L for a pair. Up to 3 pairs could be happily kept in a 3-foot (150-L) aquarium which has adequate biofiltration.

Ammonia and nitrite – nil
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Ideal Temperature: 17-20 ^oC
Salinity : 1.021 specific gravity
pH : 8 to 8.3

Price $26 each + freight

A customer writes…

What great fun and entertainment Southern Knights have brought to my family. While all six of them will hitch to their favourite (often solitary) spot at night, during the day they all spend much time together. Particularly at dawn and in the evening they often dance together. All 3 males pump up their pouch to demonstrate that they are the finest and biggest to the girls. Yet the girls don’t appear fussy. They will dance in turn to whichever male will join in first. Raising their heads and quickly diving up to the top of the tank, occasionally entwining tails and prancing throughout the aquarium, and ultimately they return to hunt for food. Home décor changes are viewed with suspicion. Often, they will peek out at new plants or re-arranged fake corals before they venture out into the open. It’s almost as if their home is their castle and how dare we humans alter anything without asking first. Each horse seems to have unique traits. Some are bright white, golden yellow or cream and brown. Some have fantastic hair-dos and brown speckled bodies. The girls tend to be out more often while the boys stay in more secluded spots, presumably pregnant and broody. For me, the pot belly seahorse species are true knights of the home aquarium. Arduous and active, but also playful and enjoying a good feast.

Katja De Bradley, Hillwood Tasmania

Southern Champions – Hippocampus breviceps – (short-headed seahorse)

Please enquire about availability

These little guys are small in size but giants in character. Full-grown adults can reach 8-cm, but are generally 4 -5 cm in length at the time of leaving the farm. Their shorter nose, longer tail (in proportion to small body size), large brood pouch and slightly turned-up nose combine to confer a unique appearance. Watching these guys performing the breeding dance is a beautiful thing.

Colours: Various individuals may be brown to golden, often with red or purple hues. Some have gorgeous cirri and attractive coloured appendages.

Natural habitat: This seahorse lives in waters around southern regions of Australia.

Young - are born relatively large, and are benthic from birth (readily hold on to things with their tail). They are easily raised in home aquariums on live brine shrimp.

Aquarium requirements: Minimum size 50-L for a pair. Up to 6 pairs could be happily kept in a 3-foot (150-L) aquarium which has adequate biofiltration.

Ammonia and nitrite – nil
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Temperature: 18 -20 ^oC (a chiller may be required in some homes to achieve this)
Salinity : 1.024 specific gravity
pH : 8.0 to 8.3

price $42 each + freight

Hippocampus subelongatus – (West Australian Seahorse)

Wild-caught under permit, this species is suited only to Public Aquariums or highly experienced aquarists due to a requirement for live food.
They prefer temperate water conditions 18-22 degrees C.

CITES approved.
P.O.A.

Chargers – Hippocampus barbouri, (zebra-nosed seahorse)

A great word to describe these guys is…spiky. They have sharp, well-developed spines. Adults can grow as large as 15 cm, however at the time they leave the farm, they are usually 8-10 cm in length.

Colour: Individuals may be white, yellow, pale orange and deep orange. This is influenced by their environment. When they dance together, they turn a pinkish-white colour, with a black ridge down the centre of their abdomen.
The snout usually has attractive stripes and thin lines may also occur about the eyes.

Natural habitat: This seahorse inhabits waters between Malaysia and the Philippines.

Young - are born relatively large, and are benthic from birth (readily hold on to things with their tail), making them popular species of young to raise among aquarists.

Aquarium requirements: Minimum size 50-L for a pair. Up to 4 pairs could be happily kept in a 3-foot (150-L) aquarium which has adequate biofiltration.

Ammonia and nitrite – nil
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Ideal Temperature: 24-26 ^oC
Salinity : 1.021 specific gravity
pH : 8 to 8.3

Price $65 each + freight

A customer writes…

When I first introduced my young pair of Chargers to their new home, they were shy and reclusive for several weeks. They were almost white in colour, hiding behind plants in the upper regions of the tank. At each feed they would peek out behind leaves and much preferred to snick up food as it floated past. However, they quickly learnt that the ‘good stuff’ (frozen mysid shrimp) could be found on the bottom of the tank. As they grew, their colourings matched more of the tank deco – salmon pink and rust-brown. Within a few months, Mr Charger started a constant delivery of young. Often the young will hitch on to the adults with no harm whatsoever. Mating dances occur almost daily, even when the male’s belly is red and swollen with new fry. It is amazing to watch how quickly they can change colours when they get excited. Both have adopted favourite hitching posts but they will visit each other, join forces at feeding time and explore all corners of their home when it suits them. They don’t appear stressed by tank changes and often will swim out to take a look at what my hand may be up to this time in their home. If they see me in front looking in, the male particularly will come down from his post to see if food is on offer. If I dare forget to feed them on time, they will sit and wait in the feeding area of the tank. To me, Chargers project confidence and a certain elegance, slowly gliding from hitching post to hitching post. A beautiful and fascinating fish you will soon come to love.

Katja De Bradley, Hillwood Tasmania.

Asian Emperors: Hippocampus kuda (yellow seahorse)

Popular tropical seahorses for home aquaria, Asian Emperors are graceful fish. Each seahorse will enjoy gliding through the aquarium, especially at dawn. They can grow to 20 cm in length, however they are usually between 8-11 cm at the time the leave the farm. They attain sexual maturity at approximately 7cm in length.

Colours: Various individuals are often black, with white striations and a grainy texture. May also be orange or yellow. Some extraordinary individuals are known to be yellow with red spots.

Natural habitat:
Inhabit waters of the Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Japan, far northern Australia & Papua New Guinea, Caribbean and the straits of Florida.

Aquarium requirements: Minimum size 50-L for a pair. Up to 3 pairs could be happily kept in a 3-foot (150-L) aquarium which has adequate biofiltration.

Ammonia and nitrite: – nil
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Ideal Temperature: 24-26 ^oC
Salinity: 1.021 specific gravity
pH: 8 to 8.3

Price $55 + freight

A customer writes…
Both males and females will display themselves to show just how beautiful they are. Often you find them chocolate brown in colour, but some will take on rich yellow tones when they display and are feeling happy. One of my males was a true Emperor of his tank, exploring all corners every morning as if to check that his family’s home was still safe and intact. Often, 2 will swim together and hang upside down on hitching posts on their favourite sleeping spots. My Asian Emperors share their home with leather corals, hermit crabs, a blue linkia sea star, a bi-coloured blenny, mandarin and 2 fire fish. They are truly magical and interesting seahorses.

Katja De Bradley, Hillwood Tasmania.

White Knights – Hippocampus whiteii, (White’s seahorse)

(please check on availability)

White Knights are popular to keep in home aquariums, as they are a sub-tropical species, easy to breed and their young are raised easily on live baby brine shrimp. They have a high, distinctive coronet, making them regal-like in appearance.

Colour: Various individuals are usually black, with some ability to turn yellow.

Natural habitat: This seahorse inhabits waters in the Sydney region, Australia

Young are born relatively large, and are benthic from birth.

What kind of tank do I need? Minimum size 50-L for a pair. Up to 4 pairs could be happily kept in a 3-foot (150-L) aquarium with adequate biofiltration.

Ammonia and nitrite – nil
Nitrate: <20 ppm
Temperature: 20-23 ^oC
Salinity: 1.024 specific gravity
pH: 8 to 8.3

Price $55 each (Please check on availability).

Hippocampus angustus - (Western Spiny Seahorse)

Wild-caught under permit, this species is suited only to Public Aquariums or highly experienced aquarists due to a requirement for live food.
A tropical species, they are closely related to H. subelongatus but are distinguished by their longer snout and body spines.

They prefer tropical water conditions 24-26 degrees C.

CITES approved.
P.O.A.