Seahorses face significant welfare challenges in the wild and in captivity due to specialised diet requirements, sensitivity to water quality, and the impact of the traditional medicine trade.
Seahorse welfare in captivity is critically dependent on getting their diet right: wild seahorses eat live mysid shrimp and amphipods; captive specimens must be trained to accept frozen food or provided with live food continuously — a significant management challenge. Wild-caught seahorses often fail to adapt and die within weeks. The welfare case for captive seahorses requires captive-bred, trained individuals, appropriate tank mates and conditions, and live food provision. The trade demand for traditional medicine represents millions of individuals facing lethal welfare harms.