Quality Marine Receives Aquacultured Tiger Tail Seahorses

Posted by Quality Marine Staff on October 2, 2017

Quality Marine Receives Aquacultured Tiger Tail Seahorses thumbnail image

Today we are excited to announce the arrival of Aquacultured Tiger Tail Seahorses for the first time since 2015. Our partners culture facility has supplied us with other high quality livestock in the past, but has recently expanded to allow for this culture and we're happy to be a part of their success story as their available species list grows.

The Tiger Tail Seahorse is found in the Indo-Pacific. They commonly inhabit shallow coral reefs. Juveniles are often found in the protection afforded by seagrass beds and macro-algal habitats; while adults are primarily found hiding in the structure of coral reefs during the day and will emerge during the evenings and nights. Their primary food source is zooplankton.

Seahorses have long been considered a sensitive species that needs a more experienced hobbyist, however, aquacultured specimens are more hardy. Like all seahorses, Tiger Tails have specific aquarium needs: consistent water quality, gentle flow, timid and peaceful tank mates like other seahorses and pipefish, and branchy structure for them to hold onto.

The Tiger Tail Seahorses wild populations have been depleted due to habitat degradation, incidental catch, and targeted harvest for traditional medicine, as well aquarium collection which has led to them being categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This listing makes their successfully aquaculture even more important as it reduces pressure on the wild populations. Quality Marine is proud to have these available to our customers again.