Lined Seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) morphs?

Dear Nicholas:

Ocean Rider now offers two different types of both their trademark Mustangs and their patented Sunbursts derived from Hippocampus erectus broodstock, Nick. These different strains have only been achieved after many dozens of generations of selective breeding.

The regular Mustangs are dark brown to black in coloration, often with an underlying pattern of parallel pinstripes, and therefore display the typical dominant coloration pattern of wild Hippocampus erectus. Their dark brown or black background coloration is also often further adorned with white blazes, saddles, and tail bands.

The Silver Mustangs have a much lighter, whitish background coloration, which is again overlaid with a pattern of fine lines in the form of darker parallel pinstripes. The combination of this lighter background color plus the pinstripes gives them a silvery appearance, and makes them very distinctive from the regular Mustangs with the darker background coloration.

Likewise, the regular Sunbursts are typically a solid bright yellow coloration from head to tail. Their coloration can vary from a golden yellow to a bright canary yellow, and a few of the Sunbursts also display the white blazes, saddles, and tail bands, although such markings are less common in Sunbursts than the Mustangs.

The Orange Sunbursts display various shades of orange (e.g., peach, pumpkin, tangerine), just as their name suggests. They are very beautiful and will virtually glow when displayed under the right type of lighting that produces light shifted towards the red end of the visible spectrum. (Both Osram GroLux fluorescents and Aqueon ColorMax T5 fluorescent lights will bring out the true brilliance in Orange Sunbursts.)

Otherwise, Nicholas, Ocean Rider considers the exact genetic makeup of the exotic Fire Reds and SunFires to be proprietary information, so I’m not at liberty to discuss them in any more detail with you.

But I can tell you that a colony of seahorses that includes regular Mustangs, silver Mustangs, yellow Sunbursts, and orange Sunbursts makes for a very colorful herd of ponies and a beautiful display.

Best wishes with all your fishes, Nick!

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna, Ocean Rider Tech Support