Lined Seahorse
Hippocampus erectus
Adult lined seahorses live in shallow western Atlantic waters, often among seagrass, mangroves, pilings, oyster beds, and floating vegetation. They are slow swimmers that grip holdfasts with the tail and ambush copepods, amphipods, mysid shrimp, and other small crustaceans with rapid suction feeding. Their bony plates and color-changing camouflage help protect them from predators. A notable trait is male pregnancy: eggs are carried and brooded in the male's pouch until the young are released.
- Type
- Water / Stealth
- Conservation status
- VU
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Lined Seahorse