Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm and Tours | Kona Hawaii › Forums › Seahorse Life and Care › ?????what happened???????? › Re:?????what happened????????
Dear Nigel:
Do you have any tankmates in with your seahorses that could have accounted for the missing fry? Cleaner shrimp or a wrasse or other fish with a mouth large enough to swallow the newborns? Pregnant males often give birth in the early morning hours, and if the seahorse tank includes any specimens that might have predatory tendencies towards the fry, they can easily polish of the entire brood by the time you get home from work.
If not — if there are no cleaner shrimp or other tankmates that may have disposed of the newborns — it may be that your male was only performing pouch displays (i.e., Ballooning or Pumping) the night before when its’ pouch appeared so distended. In other words, it could be that your male’s pouch was inflated with water as part of his courtship displays, rather than being turgid with a brood of developing young.
Either way — if your male gave birth overnight and the newborns were consumed by its tankmates and/or your filters, or if he was merely performing pouch displays for the benefit of your female — chances are very good he will be mating soon providing the female is receptive.
Best of luck with your seahorses, Nigel! One way or another, here’s hoping you have a brood of babies before you know it!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna