Help I.D. plz

[ladyfsu]

Please help with I.D. of these seahorses. I'm pretty sure they are species from the Gulf of Mexico. I have no idea how to identify between erectus or reidi, or pygmy or dwarf or babies.

1. Blackish one...Female erectus?...about 4"

2. Light orange...Female erectus? about 3"

3. Dark orange...Female erectus? about 3-1/2"

4. Dark orange...male erectus?...about 4"

5. Tiny gal/guy, maybe 1/2"...caught in bait net and is eating frozen mysis bigger than its head. Holds on, takes a bite and lets it go. NO clue. Dwarf, pygmy, baby erectus?

Thanks. Any info is great. I don't know differences between erectus or reidi, or pygmy or dwarf. Would love to learn.

Laine

 

[Bluemon]

just to narrow things down, NONE of them are dwraves or pigmies.

 

[ladyfsu]

OK, just the last one I thought might be. So...I'm thinking erectus for #5?

 

[namxas]

From what I can tell, all of the larger SH are erectus, but the little one looks like an adult zot to me.

 

[Peka]

From what I can tell, all of the larger SH are erectus, but the little one looks like an adult zot to me.

I agree with Greg

 

[ladyfsu]

Thank you. Zots are dwarfs, right? Little guy was on some sargassum brought to me and I had no way to return him. I can't believe he's eating. Thanks again.

 

[Bluemon]

i generally thought that zots had a bigger head... like almost as big as the rest of the body... i might be wrong.

 

[namxas]

Zots = zosterae, as in Hippocampus zosterae.

It's tuff to ID SH when they're super small, however FROM THE PHOTO PROVIDED, my best ID is that the little SH is a zot. It IS odd that it takes frozen, so it may be a juvie erectus.

FWIW, I'm by no means the "god of SH ID", in fact, Renee (seahorsedreams) is much better at it than me, but I do check my references (cheek/eye spines, snout length, distinguishing markings, etc) and photos unless it's a slam-dunk ID.

 

[Peka]

It still looks like a dwarf to me.....here are some baby erectus that I currently have.... take a look and see what you think...

 

[Peka]

Here is a dwarf pic...

 

[SkullV]

I am absolutely DROOLING over #3. I wish I could get my Erectus to turn orange!

 

[namxas]

It still looks like a dwarf to me.....here are some baby erectus that I currently have.... take a look and see what you think...

We used to raise erectus (altho not as many as you've seen!), and they really didn't look like the SH we're ID-ing as a zot.

I still say it's a "zot" too, Beth...

Here are some orange erectus we raised:

 

[LisaD]

I'm pretty sure, as others have said, that the bigger ones are erectus, the small one is a dwarf H zosterae. I used to keep and raise both species.

 

[namxas]

I'm pretty sure, as others have said, that the bigger ones are erectus, the small one is a dwarf H zosterae. I used to keep and raise both species.

Howdy, stranger! Good to see you lurking about.