Common Syngnathid Health Problems   Ilze K. Berzins1, Martin Greenwell2 and Brent Whitaker3   1The Florida Aquarium, Tampa, FL; 2John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL; 3National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD   Seahorses and related species in the family Syngnathidae are increasingly popular in the public aquarium industry.  Common clinical problems encountered include bacterial diseases, gas/air entrapment and parasitic infections.  Vibriosis is the most commonly diagnosed bacterial species.  Common clinical signs include erosive and ulcerative lesions on the skin, sudden death with no visible problems, and edema of the tissue around the eye and snout.  Infections with Mycobacterium sp. are also being encountered more frequently.  Gas/air entrapment can affect the skin, brood pouch, and swim bladder.  The etiology of these conditions is still in debate.  Low level, chronic supersaturation has been proposed but remains unproven.  Two protozoal ectoparasites, Amyloodinium ocellatum and Uronema marinum, have been the most commonly diagnosed.  Uronema infestations, however, are usually difficult to eradicate.  Endoparasites reported include intestinal coccidiosis, trematodes (flukes), nematodes (roundworms), cestodes (tapeworms) and the microsporidian Glugea sp.  Preventative medicine is encouraged at all steps of the acquisition process (collecting, wholesaler, client/recipient, breeder).  Proper handling and shipping procedures, appropriate water parameters, the establishment of a quarantine protocol, and adequate nutrition are essential in preventing the common diseases of Syngnathids.