Small bony fish, 47 species, named for their horse-like head and neck. The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch on his front until the young are ready to be born.
Quick answers
What is it?Fish
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Kept by aquarium hobbyists, though wild-caught seahorses tend to do poorly in home tanks.
Do people eat it?In places
Dried seahorses are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, despite no clinical evidence that they work.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatCoast, Open ocean
ColoursYellow, Brown, Orange
SizeTiny
Length1.5–35 cm
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives inpairs
Lives for1–5 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- What it eats
- Small shrimps and other tiny prey.
Did you know
The male gets pregnant and gives birth.
A female can deposit up to 1,500 eggs in the male’s pouch, and he carries them for 9–45 days.
Often confused with
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