FusedJaw: Seahorses, Pipefish & Seadragons

It's all about the snick.

Learn about Seahorses, Seadragons and Pipefish.

Fused Jaw describes the shape of the mouths of a unique group of fish. Most well known of these is the Seahorse. Pipefish and Seadragons are other fish related to the seahorse that belong to this group, known as the Syngathiformes. These fascinating fish continue to intrigue both the scientist and layperson alike. FusedJaw.com, is a growing database of facts, articles and pictures regarding seahorse and pipefish care in the home aquarium, biology and reproduction, and their conservation in the wild so that seahorses, pipefish and seadragons can ultimately survive for future generations to enjoy.

  • Meet the Strange Syngnathiformes

    Meet the Strange Syngnathiformes By Tami Weiss | Date posted: November 21, 2009
    1 Comment

    Syngnathiformes is the order of highly-specialized predatory fish known for their unusual appearance and adaptations. The most well known is the seahorse, but all of the syngnathids have similar features: long, narrow bodies that lack rings but are instead have a bony exterior that makes up armor, and small, tubular mouths used for sucking in prey.

  • Pygmy Seahorses

    Pygmy Seahorses By Angela Feng | Date posted: August 4, 2009
    4 Comments

    What is a pygmy seahorse? Pygmy seahorses are part of the genus Hippocampus which all seahorses belong. They are minute seahorse species found through the world, most less than one inch in size. Most species have been discovered within the past 10 years. Since then, they have become one of the most popular creatures for recreational divers to seek out.

  • Reproductive Husbandry of the Weedy Sea Dragon

    Reproductive Husbandry of the Weedy Sea Dragon By Kristy L. Forsgren | Date posted: July 4, 2009
    1 Comment

    Due to the difficulty and cost associated with maintaining sea dragons in captive environments, reproductive success and rearing of hatchlings has never been documented. During the summer of 2001, two weedy sea dragons became pregnant at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

  • Happy Father’s Day! 10 Seahorse Facts About the Best Dad In the Animal Kingdom.

    Happy Father’s Day! 10 Seahorse Facts About the Best Dad In the Animal Kingdom. By Tami Weiss | Date posted: June 19, 2009
    1 Comment

    Seahorses are often referred to as the best dads in the animal kingdom – and for good reason – they’re the only animal where the male gets pregnant! That’s right, it’s the men that take on the joys of childbirth in these equine fishes.

  • Seadragon Resources and Papers

    Seadragon Resources and Papers By Administrator | Date posted: June 1, 2009
    1 Comment

    More information on leafy seadragons and weedy seadragons. Papers and websites.

  • Leafy Seadragon, Phycodurus eques

    Leafy Seadragon, Phycodurus eques By Paula Branshaw Carlson | Date posted: May 29, 2009
    3 Comments

    The Leafy seadragon, Phycodurus eques, the most ornate member of the family Syngnathidae, has long been known to aquarists as one of the most beautiful and unique of all the fishes. Found only in Southern and Western Australian waters, the Leafy seadragon is a master of camouflage. Named for the dragons of Chinese myth, this relative of the pipefishes and seahorses is named for the leaf-like appendages that adorn its body.

  • Seahorse Sleuths

    Seahorse Sleuths By Tami Weiss | Date posted: May 21, 2009
    2 Comments

    Seahorses are some of the most enchanting and mysterious creatures in the ocean. They are also in trouble, struggling to survive in threatened habitats around the world, while large-scale trading of seahorses for the traditional Chinese medicine market goes unchecked. Meet the Seahorse Sleuths – local scientists who are working to unlock the secrets of [...]

  • 10 Things You Should Know Before Keeping Seahorses As Pets.

    10 Things You Should Know Before Keeping Seahorses As Pets. By Tami Weiss | Date posted: April 13, 2009
    4 Comments

    1. Yes! Seahorses can be kept as pets.
    As long as you have the proper aquarium set up, and take take proper care of them. They are protected by international law, but that means their trade is regulated, not prohibited. Most countries allow the free trade and keeping of captive bred seahorses. Captive bred seahorses are [...]

  • Dwarf Seahorses As Pets

    Dwarf Seahorses As Pets By Tami Weiss | Date posted: February 23, 2009
    38 Comments

    Dwarf seahorses, Hippocampus zosterae remains an ever popular, easy to care for aquarium pet. The basics of keeping them are quite simple as long as you follow a few guidelines.

  • Live Food Suppliers

    Live Food Suppliers By Administrator | Date posted: August 29, 2008
    No Comments

    Finding live food for syngnathids can be difficult. Here is a list of mail order and online suppliers wordwide. If you know of any additional suppliers that should be added, please add to the comments below and I’ll add them to this list.

  • Where To Buy Seahorses and Pipefish

    Where To Buy Seahorses and Pipefish By Administrator | Date posted: July 1, 2008
    6 Comments

    Here are some sources online for captive bred Seahorses. You can often have your Local Fish Store order captive bred Seahorses for you if they don’t have any available. It is strongly advised that you always purchase captive bred seahorses over wild caught, as they live longer, arrive healthier, and are easier to feed. If your store is unsure,pass. Captive bred pipefish are a much harder find, but at least one wholesaler in Australia breeds them.

  • Plea To Conserve Sungai Pulai

    Plea To Conserve Sungai Pulai By Choo Chee Kuang | Date posted: April 25, 2008
    No Comments

    Sungai Pulai is a very special estuarine ecosystem that should merit the status of a
    national heritage. The intertidal seagrass bed at the Pulai river mouth is the largest known contiguous meadow in the whole country – home to seahorse, dugong and other rare species, and also a fisheries powerhouse. It is something we, as Malaysian, cannot afford to lose.

  • Breeding Dwarf Seahorses

    Breeding Dwarf Seahorses By Rodrigo Flores | Date posted: September 26, 2007
    3 Comments

    The one species I had not had and that I wanted was the Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae. So at the beginning of spring I ordered 20 Seahorses all for my own. I set them up in one 40-gallon Eclipse tank with 2 biowheels and I put the intake in a Hydrosponge so the horses would not get sucked up.

  • Flagtail Pipefish In The Home Aquarium

    Flagtail Pipefish In The Home Aquarium By Tami Weiss | Date posted: November 9, 2005
    No Comments

    Flagtail Pipefish, named such because of their large, brilliantly colored tails that they use in courtship and territory displays, is one of the free swimming types of pipefish from the genus Doryrhamphus and Dunkerocampus. The wonderful thing about these pipefish is that most fair quite well in captivity, unlike many other pipefish species. However, there are still some obstacles that need to be overcome when keeping these interesting fish.

  • Keeping Seahorses: Three Keys to Success

    Keeping Seahorses: Three Keys to Success By Tami Weiss | Date posted: September 12, 2005
    2 Comments

    It wasn’t long ago that seahorses were considered “impossible” to keep in captivity. Many believed they were only suitable for those with massive resources such as public aquariums. If the home aquarist were to attempt to keep seahorses, they needed to live near the ocean so they could collect food on a daily basis, and even then, they only met limited success.

  • Example 20 gallon Seahorse Aquarium

    Example 20 gallon Seahorse Aquarium By Tami Weiss | Date posted: September 11, 2005
    No Comments

    One issue that new seahorse keepers struggle with is what exactly they need for an aquarium setup to keep seahorses. Having never kept fish, it can be difficult to pick out what precisely is needed to get started. Here is a list of basic equipment and a price brake down, to give an idea of the specifics of cost and equipment to get started.

  • Seahorse and Pipefish Foods

    Seahorse and Pipefish Foods By Tami Weiss | Date posted: June 25, 2005
    1 Comment

    Seahorses are ambush predators, feeding primarily on crustaceans, mostly shrimp. In their wild state, most seahorses only eat live food. (Although H. capensis is an exception and known to feed on dead food in the wild). In our aquariums, Wild Caught specimens often don’t recognize many food items offer that are not from their natural [...]

  • Research and Conservation Groups and Contacts

    Research and Conservation Groups and Contacts By Administrator | Date posted: February 20, 2005
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    Conservation and research groups around the world that study and try to protect fishes of the order Syngathiformes.

  • Snout Rot

    Snout Rot By Will Wooten | Date posted: June 25, 2004
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    Snout rot is the erosion of the skin around the snout of a seahorse. Similar to and likey caused by the same pathogen as flesh-eating bacteria, Vibrio spp., snout rot can often be controlled with pre-treatment before the seahorse is released into the display aquarium. The disease may be cause either by fungal infection (in which case the snout will be pinkish) or bacterial infection (in which case the snout will be white).

  • Seahorse Tankmates: What’s Safe, What’s Not?

    Seahorse Tankmates: What’s Safe, What’s Not? By Will Wooten | Date posted:
    2 Comments

    There are quite a lot of animals that will do exceptionally well with seahorses while still allowing the seahorses themselves to thrive. To guide seahorse keepers in stocking their seahorse tanks with non-seahorse inhabitants, this article contains a list of species that are appropriate for keeping with seahorses.

  • Pouch Evacuations in Male Seahorses

    Pouch Evacuations in Male Seahorses By Tami Weiss | Date posted:
    No Comments

    Evacuating the brood pouch of a male seahorse may be necessary from time to time if a male’s pouch accumulates excessive gas in the pouch. At first, this may seem like a frightening task, but its really very simple to do, even with the squirmiest of guys. Just remember, seahorses are smart and he’ll probably [...]

  • Flesh Erosion Disease

    Flesh Erosion Disease By Will Wooten | Date posted: June 24, 2004
    No Comments

    The purpose of this guide is to provide a reference, or starting point, in identifying and treating some of the most common diseases and medical conditions of seahorses in home aquariums. It is not, however, set in stone; constant scientific research and anecdotal evidence cause the seahorse hobby to evolve every day, furthering our understanding [...]

  • Fish Stores Say The Darnedest Things: 20 Misconceptions About Seahorses

    Fish Stores Say The Darnedest Things: 20 Misconceptions About Seahorses By Tami Weiss | Date posted: June 22, 2004
    1 Comment

    Seahorses have always been a mystery, fascinating man from the earliest times. Aristotle wrote about them. Even in modern times, relatively little was known about seahorse biology until 20 years ago, when the first serious attempt at researching their biology was made. But even with ground breaking new research, they are shrouded in as much [...]

  • Recognized Hippocampus Species and Common Names

    Recognized Hippocampus Species and Common Names By Administrator | Date posted:
    2 Comments

    There are currently around 40 recognized seahorse species. Seahorses are part of the family Syngnathidae (pronounced sing-nath-i-dee), which means “fused jaw”. All seahorses belong to the genus Hippocampus.

  • Sedating, Force Feeding, Injections and CPR for Seahorses

    Sedating, Force Feeding, Injections and CPR for Seahorses By Tami Weiss | Date posted: February 20, 2004
    4 Comments

    One particular problem serious seahorse keepers and breeders face is lack of veterinary support. Some vets are willing to try to help, but most turn seahorse keepers away due to lack of aquatic animal experience. The hobbyist is then left with the choice of letting their beloved pets waste away, or attempting to try advanced care techniques themselves. This article is for those hobbyists who feel its necessary to go the extra mile in supportive care for their seahorses.

  • Seahorses: Unique Creatures Threatened by Habitat Loss and Overfishing

    Seahorses: Unique Creatures Threatened by Habitat Loss and Overfishing By Carlos Restrepo | Date posted: January 1, 2004
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    Seahorses are threatened throughout their range as a result of habitat loss and over-fishing. They are exploited for traditional Asian medicine markets, the pet trade, and for food.

  • Raising Seahorse Fry: The Fish Bowl Method

    Raising Seahorse Fry: The Fish Bowl Method By Tami Weiss | Date posted: April 3, 2003
    No Comments

    The system I use for raising Hippocampus reidi fry is a modified pseudokreisel. Kreisels and pseudokreisels are tanks with a circular water flow most often used for keeping jellyfish. For H. reidi, and other pelagic seahorse fry prone to air snicking, you can use a drum fish bowl for this purpose.
    The design originally suggested by Pete [...]

  • It’s Rodeo time, Hippocampus erectus style!

    It’s Rodeo time, Hippocampus erectus style! By Ed Curran | Date posted: February 19, 2003
    No Comments

    My fascination with seahorses began a long time ago, it all started when I was a boy reading the classifieds in Field and Stream, an ad selling dwarf seahorses caught my eye and that was that. I ordered the ponies and proceeded to watch them die one by one over the next few days, I [...]

  • Solving Problems in Seahorse Culture

    Solving Problems in Seahorse Culture By Todd Gardner | Date posted: September 1, 2001
    1 Comment

    Although seahorses have been spawned and reared in captivity for many years, a simple, effective, and reliable culture protocol is still sorely needed. The purpose of this article is to report on my preliminary rearing trials and the solutions to some of the problems I have encountered.

  • Pipe Fish

    Pipe Fish By Gerald Jennings | Date posted: March 1, 2000
    No Comments

    Members  of the  family  Syngnathidae,  more commonly known as Pipe Fish, can be found throughout the world both in brackish and marine waters. Coldwater species can be found around the British coast and there are seven species that have been recorded as being quite common. We shall deal with these coldwater species first:
    Native species:-
    Syngnathus acus, [...]