Dear Charlie:
Yes, sir, it does sound like your Hippocampus fuscus Seapony is attempting to court your female. The change in coloration you noticed is a courtship display known as "Brightening" for obvious reasons, and is typical of tropical seahorses in general.
If your female H. kuda will intertwine tails with the male H. fuscus, that’s a pretty good indication that she is receptive to his advances. If their courtship progresses that far, they will eventually engage in dancelike displays that involve synchronized swimming. These maneuvers are known as the "Parallel Promenade," "Carouselling," and the "Maypole Dance" respectively.
Like the daily greeting ritual, courtship is normally conducted in the early morning hours, after which the seahorses will resume their normal coloration and go their separate ways again until the next bout of flirting.
If you’re interested, I would be happy to discuss some of the characteristic courtship displays in more detail so you have a better idea of what to look for in assessing this budding romance.
Best of luck with your mixed couple, Charlie!
Happy Trails!
Pete Giwojna
Ocean Rider, Inc. is an Organic Hawaiian-Based Seahorse Aqua-Farm & Aquarium that Follows Strict Good Farming Practices in Raising Seahorses and Other Aquatic Life.
