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Lined seahorse
Bird of Prey
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EXPLORE > ANIMALS > FISH

​Hippocampus erectus

The intriguing seahorse is part of the Family Syngnathidae which includes bay pipefish.  These are atypical fish that have bodies encased by bony rings, tubular snouts and toothless mouths. Male seahorses and pipefish have brooding pouches into which females deposit their eggs for fertilization. The males then carry the young until they are reared. 

The seahorse is a poor swimmer due to its small, weak fins. Instead, they rely on their natural coloring and body forms to hide themselves from predators among eel grass and other aquatic plant life. This animal is generally brown, gray or dark red in color with a fan-shaped dorsal fin and prehensile tail.
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​Range and Habitat

The lined seahorse can be found in shallow tropical and temperate waters all around the globe. They will usually hide among seagrass, reefs or in mangrove swamps in order to protect themselves from predators.
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Conservation Status

Common.
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