WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Bigbelly Seahorse

Hippocampus abdominalis

Also known as: Australian Pot-bellied Seahorse, Big-bellied Seahorse, Eastern Potbelly Seahorse, Large Seahorse, Potbelly Seahorse, Pot-bellied Seahorse

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2017
Adult
@DuncanHeuer · Local Sydney dive site, Australia · April 20201 / 3
01

Overview

Found singly, or in pairs, anchored by their tails, to algae and seaweeds, also around jetties and sponges, over shallow, sheltered reefs, and in tidepools, sometimes off-shore, attached to drifting seaweed rafts. This is one of the largest seahorses in the world.
They feed by sucking crustaceans and zooplankton into their mouths.
Southwest Pacific - Australia, New Zealand

Pipefishes and Seahorses are unique in that the male gives birth! The female deposits their eggs after fertilisation into the males pouch to incubate the eggs for one month before giving birth.
They attach to anything they can get their tail around, even each other usually close to the bottom to blend in with their surroundings.
Seahorses are a threatened species because it is sought after for Chinese medicine.

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How to identify

Behaviour
pairssolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Southwest Pacific
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in pairs, anchored by their tails, to algae and seaweeds, also around jetties and sponges, over shallow, sheltered reefs, and in tidepools, sometimes off-shore, attached to drifting seaweed rafts.

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Adult photos 3

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderSyngnathiformes
    5. familySyngnathidae
    6. genusHippocampus
    7. speciesHippocampus abdominalis Lesson, 1827

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Pipefishes-Seahorses (Syngnathidae)