About Seahorses

As their scientific name Hippocampus implies, seahorses have the head of a horse (hippo-horse, campus-head). Combined with a curvy prehensile tail, a series of armor like body rings, and exotic stripe-ringed eyes that move independently while scoping out tiny floating prey, seahorses present a mythical image. It’s easy to understand why early naturalists didn’t even recognize them as fishes!

Seahorses have an astonishing and endearing reproductive strategy. Moving like underwater ballet dancers, many species bond in faithful pairs. The male incubates the eggs in a special pouch in his belly. As the babies grow his stomach becomes distended just like a pregnant woman until he gives birth to as many as 2,000 tiny seahorses. The appreciative female performs courtship dances daily to exhibit her loyalty.

Seahorses are found in a variety of marine habitats close to the coast – some of the most threatened marine ecosystems in the world. To protect seahorses we must protect their habitat which will ensure the continued vitality of the whole ocean floor community. Seahorses are charismatic ambassadors for coastal ecosystems worldwide.

Project Seahorse is the world’s leading seahorse research organization and is very involved in marine conservation worldwide. Much more information is about seahorses is available at their website, including several guides to seahorse biology and conservation.