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First we need to know if his pouch is swollen. Most male seahorses' pouches will be enlarged if they're pregnant (although with small broods, it can take a few days and sometimes not show at all). If his pouch is swollen then he COULD be pregnant. There are two other possibilities for a male seahorse to have an enlarged pouch. One would be if he has pouch bloat, a condition with gas in the pouch. If the seahorse has pouch bloat, he will likely float or have problems staying down in the water column when not hitched. If that is not the case, then he may have filled it with water to display to females or show up potential rivals.
So how do you tell the difference? It isn't always easy. Males who are displaying will often deflate a short time later. Males carrying eggs will have pouches with a more firm appearence. Sometimes you can "candle" the pouch by shining a light behind the seahorse through the aquarium glass. If its dark or BRIGHT orange, its probably eggs. If its light colored and the light shines through freely, its probably just water. (But beware of yellow and orange seahorses, they can seem to be full of newly laid eggs because of their color).
The best way to tell if a seahorse is pregnant is to have witnessed the egg transfer. If you didn't, then monitor closely and see if his pouch continues to get bigger. Just beware that the babies may be born after dark and may get sucked up into filters. Related Topics:
Breeding
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