Lined Seahorse: here’s the scoop
threats
Lined seahorses are threatened by being caught as bycatch in shrimp trawl fisheries and by being targeted for the aquarium trade. The species is traded dried as traditional medicine and curios. Their preferred habitats (seagrasses, corals and mangroves) are also declining due to coastal development, pollution, destructive fishing practices such as trawling, and increased sedimentation.
Species
Lined Seahorse
Scientific name
Hippocampus erectus
Habitat
At the surface and bottom of both shallow water and deeper areas of channels in bays, along beaches, in or near salt marshes, and over oyster beds and weed-covered banks
Diet
Small crustaceans
life expectancy
4 – 5 years
Did you know?
Seahorses are ovoviviparous and males brood the young in a pouch prior to giving live birth. The average brood size for this species is 250 to 300 eggs although larger males can produce over 1200 eggs!
Range
Southern tip of Nova Scotia in Canada, along the east coast of the USA, and south to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Venezuela
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Likely to become endangered unless circumstances improve
