A pink and white pygmy seahorse blends in with similar-coloured coral
Adapted from text by Dr. Dave Harasti, ADEX Ambassador for Seahorses 2016-2017
Image from Shutterstock
Seahorses are elusive creatures, and are naturally rare in the wild. Nevertheless, there are regions around the world such as Indonesia, the Philippines and northern Australia where lots of different species of seahorses can be found. To become a talented seahorse spotter, here are several places you can look to find 4 seahorse species.
1. Spotted seahorse (Hippocampus kuda)
The spotted seahorse can be found occurring in seagrass beds.
2. Thorny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix)
The thorny seahorse is often found amongst sponges and on sea pens.
3. Tiger-tail seahorse (Hippocampus comes)
The juvenile tiger-tail seahorse is found in shallow waters living in algal habitats, while adults prefer to live on hard coral reefs.
4. White’s seahorse (Hippocampus whitei)
The juvenile White’s seahorse prefers small yellow gorgonian fans to live on, and as they get older they change habitat and move onto soft corals and sponges.
DID YOU KNOW?
Most seahorse species are found in shallow coastal habitats in less than 20 metres of water, but some species such as the pygmy seahorses are known to occur at depths of up to 150 metres.
To read up more on seahorses and other fascinating marine life, check out Asian Diver Issue 6/2021 here.
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