WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Lined Seahorse

Hippocampus erectus

Also known as: Horsefish, Northern Seahorse, Oceanic Seahorse, Spotted Seahorse

VUVulnerableIUCN Red List, 2017
Adult
@benignor · Blue Heron Bridge, Palm Beach area, Florida, United States · March 20141 / 10
01

Overview

Found singly or in pairs, anchored with their tails to gorgonians and seagrasses, over muddy bottoms, sometimes around man-made structures of coastal reefs.
They feed on zooplankton which they suck whole into their mouths.

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.

02

How to identify

Pattern
blotches
Behaviour
pairssolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic
  • Exact location · 1
  • Country only · 9
LIVES IN

Found singly or in pairs, anchored with their tails to gorgonians and seagrasses, over muddy bottoms, sometimes around man-made structures of coastal reefs.

04

Adult photos 10

05

Discussion 2

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

2 comments

  • JolineCuracao· 18 May 2020

    I was doubting between longsnout and lined seahorse. How do you know this is not the longsnout seahorse?

  • fishx6Top Contributor· 18 May 2020

    We may be wrong but we think it has a higher crown!

    Helpful
ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderSyngnathiformes
  5. familySyngnathidae
  6. genusHippocampus
  7. speciesHippocampus erectus Perry, 1810

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

06

More in the family

Pipefishes-Seahorses (Syngnathidae)