Twelve seahorse facts, fact-checked
Seahorses are fish that abandoned almost every convention of being a fish. Full profile in our seahorse guide.
1. Males get pregnant
The female deposits eggs into the male's brood pouch, where he fertilises, nourishes and carries them, then gives birth to live young.
2. They are fish
Genus Hippocampus, with gills, a swim bladder and fins, despite the shape.
3. They have no stomach
Food passes through so quickly that they must eat almost continuously — up to 3,000 brine shrimp a day.
4. Their eyes move independently
One can watch for predators while the other tracks prey.
5. The tail grips
Prehensile and square in cross-section, which grips better and resists crushing better than a round tail would.
6. They are among the slowest fish
The dwarf seahorse moves about 1.5 metres per hour, propelled by a rapidly beating dorsal fin.
7. They hunt by ambush and suction
Holding still, then snapping the head up to draw prey in — one of the fastest feeding strikes measured in fish.
8. Many pair for a season or longer
Bonded pairs perform daily greeting displays, sometimes changing colour in the process.
9. Broods can exceed 1,000
Very few survive; fry receive no care after birth.
10. Camouflage is exceptional
Colour change and skin filaments let them disappear into seagrass and coral.
11. Millions are traded annually
Dried for traditional medicine and curios, plus the aquarium trade. All seahorses are CITES Appendix II listed.
12. Habitat loss compounds it
Seagrass, mangrove and coral loss removes the shallow habitat they depend on, and trawling damages it directly.
Read the full seahorse wildlife guide for IUCN status, population context and sources — or donate to WARN to help fund the partner teams protecting wildlife on the ground.
