The short-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus hippocampus) is a benthic fish that bases its survival on camouflage with the environment; therefore, both in wild and in captivity specimens, differences in coloration have been observed. This study was conducted to study the effect of five different diets, based on Artemia and frozen mysis, on fish survival, growth, skin colour parameters and biochemical composition. After 102 days of feeding different diets, no effect was observed on fish survival, growth, protein, ash or humidity content, except for colour changes on yellow and red fish. Differences on seahorse lipid and total carotenoids content were obtained in the experiment because of experimental diets. Fish eating Artemia showed the highest colour pattern response during the trial, with a maximum yellowness attained of 21. Additionally, a plateau of the skin colour expression for Artemia-feeding fish was reached on day 180. A reversion of the yellowish skin colour was determined after a change of diet.

Little is known about the nutritional requirements of ornamental fish and the effects which they may have on fish histology. Because of this, 45 young, captive-bred seahorses (1.37 g AE 0.51) were randomly divided and put into fifteen, 35-L, glass aquariums. Three experimental diets were tested in triplicate: live enriched Artemia (LEA); frozen enriched Artemia (FEA); and commercial Mysis (M). seahorses were fed twice daily, 6 days a week for 102 days throughout the experiment. The body weight and length of the seahorses were measured every 20 days, and at the end of the experiment, fish liver samples were taken for histological studies. Biochemical analyses of the diets and the seahorses fed on the experimental diets were recorded, and the differences in the total lipid content in each of the three diets were also observed, each reflecting their respective liver lipid content. seahorses fed with LEA treatment showed lipid vacuoles in the hepatocytes with nuclei displaced to the periphery. Similar results were also observed in FEA fed seahorses, but to a lesser extent. In contrast, the M fed seahorses were characterized by having livers with lower size hepatocytes and centrally located nuclei.

Recently, the popularity of aquariums has been increasing. As a result, the aquarium industry as a whole is of a relatively low volume yet has a very high value.Unlike freshwater aquarium species, for which 90% of species are currently farmed, the great majority of marine aquaria are stocked with wild species caught mainly from coral reefs and adjacent habitats. These fisheries, in addition to other activities, have contributed to the degradation of coral reef habitats.Aquaculture had experienced a great deal of development of culture technologies in the last few decades what could be applied to ornamental species. However, the number of cultured species is still limited (1-2%). The market demand may be satisfied by cultured fish once culture technologies have been established successfully.The present article presents an overview of the ornamental fish trade regarding the most important species involved and their situation, as well as updated information on breeding protocols for some high-value marine fish species.

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