Color-Changing Seahorse... (Hippocampus Kelloggi)

In the middle of this month, I bought my wife Sea Dragon a captive-bred Hippocampus Kelloggi, or Great Seahorse. He is about 2½" tall, has awesome personality, and was black upon purchase. Sea Dragon had previously expressed concern about a lack of contrast a black seahorse may have with the rest of the tank, even though it was the color that she wanted. The little guy was so cute that I bought him anyway, and would keep him as my own if she wasn't happy with him.

Well, she loves him. Contrast isn't much of a concern anymore, though, as two weeks later he has turned yellow! I have read that seahorses can change their color based on their camouflage and their mood. I can't say that I expected to see it happen, though. He's maintained a yellow color with slight orange tail variations for several days now.

Check out the difference:

 

thats awesome lol he/she is hitching on the starfish

 

Now that's something else.. beautiful..

Good Luck, Larry

 

Just to warn you, that can be a sign of stress, though not so much with juvis (which this is)
What temp is the tank? How many times a day are you feeding? And is there anything else in there with it besides the star?

 

they will also change color due to food that you are feeding them. Food that is enriched with HUFA and vitamins will promote better colors.

Very cool though! I have a tank that I am wanting to go to a seahorse tank. One of my LFS had a big kellogi that was black. I was not wanting a black one...but now thinking I might go and get that!

 

The tank is at 74 degrees. He is joined by a Janss' Pipefish, a Green Mandarin Dragonette, and a Harlequin Shrimp.

Stars are only placed in the aquarium as shrimp food and are closely monitored since the loss of our first Dragonface Pipefish due to its head being eaten by a Chocolate Chip.

Feeding is often twice a day, sometimes once a day. We feed on separate occasions home-hatched baby brine, store-bought adult brine, PE frozen mysis shrimp, and cyclops all enriched with Kent Zoecon and Zoe, with less-frequent garlic and vitamin C additions from Kent. "Tigger" copepods are occasionally supplemented, in spite of the Dragonette's feeding on brine and cyclops.

I suppose that it's possible the fish store's feedings of adult brine shrimp weren't enriched, besides the fact that the little guy was only at the fish store for 2 days prior to purchase, and so likely didn't have much time for nutritious intake since being shipped. We have a tank dedicated to pipefish / seahorses (with a Dragonette thrown in), and it's lovely to watch how interesting the inhabitants are.

I look forward to seeing what happens with his color, and continue to keep a record of his appearance to see how it develops.