Whats eating my seahorses

G

g1mme

New member
HI folks
Im new to all this reef stuff but i have seahorses at my work and these little things are attacking them. Ive noticed them in the substrate aswell and i dont know what they are!!
The bugs are green with a black stripe down the middle
Help pls!!!
<a href="http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/?action=view&current=97b8c06e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/97b8c06e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/?action=view&current=e93e0812.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/e93e0812.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/?action=view&current=7d183ab0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/7d183ab0.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Admins pls move this if its in the wrong area!!
 
They look to be a type of amphipod, similar to the common Gammarids (the C-shaped critter at the bottom of the first photo), and I know there are some predatory species of amphipods.

Are these bothering large species SH or zots (dwarf SH)?

Are they actually biting the SH or just crawling on them?

What's the scale on them, size-wise? Did they show up recently or have they been an issue for awhile?

I'll try and remember to ask Renee (seahorsedreams) when I get home. She's the "critter queen" of the house. In fact, once they're ID'd, she may ask to use your pic in the pictorial hitch-hiker ID guide on our site.
 
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Idotea maybe? Are these being kept in cold water?

** I need to hit refresh before I post :) seahorsedreams beat me to it.
 
Ok so to reply. Umm I don't know what a macro is as I have kind of inherited this tank and am new to any kind of salt tank though I do keep freshwater fish at home quite successfully (not goldfish). The species of seahorse is hippocampus cappensis. (spelling) it is an endangered species and we are licensed to keep them but the people who are supposed to come and maintain the aquarium have disappeared. They seem to be a new problem and I did catch them crawling all over 1 SH the other day. I have had 2 deaths in as many days and since I can't find the team who usually maintain my tank I have to play by ear. I did contact the national parks board and they are sending someone to help me but they don't know what the critters are. I'll take a bottom photo too.
Also no need to ask for the photos please feel free to take them.

Many thanks.
G1mme


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.041408,23.045397
 
If you're keeping capensis, you must be keeping a temperate setup for them (I didn't hit refresh either!).

Caps are cool little SH that breed very well, but none have been around for awhile. They weren't super popular because they require a dedicated chilled setup, which most folks don't want to fool with.

The person you really need to get ahold of is Ron Shimek, Ph.D...he's an expert on "critters".

You can see a pic of your critter in THIS ARTICLE by Ron...see Figure 7. It is indeed Idotea, and is classified as herbivorous.
 
I actually wasn't too fond of them. I use to go "shrimping" in seagrass and would bring a lot of these home. They would stick on any available surface. Blah!
 
Yeah i think it was from shrimping, someone showed one of my staff how to do it and they must have gotten lazy, and when i mean lazy i mean i found 3 mullet in my tank!!!
Sat in front of my security cameras the whole night watching too see who messed with my tank! (HELL TO PAY)
If they are indeed herbies then perhaps i shouldnt worry too much, did a little reading and it said if i increase the temp of the water then they should all die. I will take the SH out 1st of course.
I am not suprised that you cant find any Capensis as they are only found here where i live and they are reputedly the most endangered seahorse species in on the planet. We need a special licence to keep them and a dedicated specialist (who we cant get hold of) to maintain the tank!
anyhow, thanks for your help ill see if i can get hold of that doc.
You guys are the best. !
<3
 
Let me know where you are, and I may be able to hook you up with a good SH keeper near you (I've been a mod on a dedicated SH forum for several years and as such, have many resources). You can PM me if you like.
 
g1mme said:
Ok so to reply. Umm I don't know what a macro is as I have kind of inherited this tank and am new to any kind of salt tank though I do keep freshwater fish at home quite successfully (not goldfish). The species of seahorse is hippocampus cappensis. (spelling) it is an endangered species and we are licensed to keep them but the people who are supposed to come and maintain the aquarium have disappeared. They seem to be a new problem and I did catch them crawling all over 1 SH the other day. I have had 2 deaths in as many days and since I can't find the team who usually maintain my tank I have to play by ear. I did contact the national parks board and they are sending someone to help me but they don't know what the critters are. I'll take a bottom photo too.
Also no need to ask for the photos please feel free to take them.

Many thanks.
G1mme


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-34.041408,23.045397
Click to expand...


What part of South Africa are you from? I will link this & email it to Steve and I will see if he can help you out with their care. Also are you on any of the SA sites?

Kind Regards,

Tim
 
Last edited:
g1mme said:
HI folks
Im new to all this reef stuff but i have seahorses at my work and these little things are attacking them. Ive noticed them in the substrate aswell and i dont know what they are!!
The bugs are green with a black stripe down the middle
Help pls!!!
<a href="http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/?action=view&current=97b8c06e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/97b8c06e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/?action=view&current=e93e0812.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/e93e0812.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/?action=view&current=7d183ab0.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/g1mme/7d183ab0.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Admins pls move this if its in the wrong area!!
Click to expand...

It's an isopod, I remove and release them when I collect at estuaries as I do not wish to risk putting them with seahorses although if I remember correctly they are not predatory, you should rather just collect brokenback shrimps, very small shrimps, amphipods and mysis. I don't have the 'Two Oceans' marine life guide with me at the moment, but it is in there, there are several similar species. You can contact me at Bayworld if you wish. I occasionally come through to George as my son is studying Nature Conservation at Saasveld.

Regards Steve
 
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