Hippocampus erectus
Lined Seahorse
Maximum Size:
7.5 in (19 cm) with tail outstretched
Longevity:
Up to 4 years, possibly more in captivity.
Typical depth:
1–40 ft (0.3–12 m)
Behavior:
Lined seahorses are relatively rare and can be incredibly hard to spot because of their excellent camouflage. They are often found holding on to the branches of gorgonians or seagrasses with their prehensile tail. They feed on small crustaceans and other small organisms such as amphipods and copepods, sucking them up through their tube-like mouths. Some lined seahorses develop flesh-like appendages when they live in clumps of sargassum. The lined seahorse lives throughout the Western Atlantic and can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as Venezuela.
Predators:
Rays, snapper, mahi mahi and tuna.
Did you know?
It is the male seahorse, rather than the female, who becomes “pregnant.” The female deposits around 1,500 eggs in the male’s brood pouch, where they are fertilized and nurtured for roughly 20-21 days before hatching. When the juveniles are ready to hatch, the male attaches its tail to a stationary structure and begins to arch its back, back and forth, releasing the juveniles into the water column.
