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Pete,
I am noticing that one of our one seahorse (Kellogi) is growing hair on his entire body 🙂 Our other three seahorses have on occassion developed green algae film, which we always consider natural. It eventually peels off like skin. But the Kellogi has very fuzzy like hair, that I am not sure of. Just a precaution….could you let us know what it is? Thanks Ed
Dear Ed:
I’m not exactly sure what to make of your fuzzy seahorse either, sir. On the one hand, seahorses are capable of growing in shedding dermal cirri, which are branching extensions of their skin that enhance their camouflage and give them a more bushy appearance, helping them to better blend into a weedy habitat. These dermal cirri can appear hairlike, and I have seen some dwarf seahorses with well-developed cirri that look downright fuzzy. In that case, the fuzzy growths are natural and nothing to be concerned about.
On the other hand, some kinds of fungus can be described as a fuzzy growth on the skin of marine fish, and in that case you might want to treat your H. kelloggi with an anti-fungal bath, such as formalin or malachite green or some combination thereof. Methylene blue may also work well in mild cases. Of course, you don’t want to treat your seahorse unless we can confirm that the fuzzy hair growing on it is abnormal.
The best way for me to determine what’s up with your fuzzy seahorse would be to examine a good photograph. If you can possibly send me one or more digital photographs, I would be happy to look them over and give you my thoughts on the matter. You can reach me at the following e-mail address, if you can provide some photographs of your H. kelloggi: [email protected]
Best of luck with all of your seahorses, Ed!
Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna
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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.
