Longsnout Seahorse
Hippocampus reidi
Longsnout seahorses are well known for their unusual swimming technique and unique characteristics. In fact, their unique look has made them subject to overfishing and exploitation by tourism. By supporting conservation of this special species, we can continue to observe their intriguing behaviors in their native habitat.
Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma
SPECIES IN DETAIL
Longsnout Seahorse
Hippocampus reidi
CONSERVATION STATUS: Near threatened
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
Geographic Distribution
These seahorses may be found from North Carolina to Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Habitat
Typically, they are found attached to mangroves, seagrasses, or soft corals. the seahorses can also be found free swimming or nearby floating brown seaweed. The longsnout seahorse can be found at depths of 0-55 meters (0-180 feet); however, younger individuals tend to stay near shallow habitats.
Physical Characteristics
Longsnout seahorses generally have a narrow body, a long thick snout, and a crown-shaped piece of skin located at the top of the head known as a “coronet”. They have a low, round tubercle (outward projection of the body that might remind us of the stomach or chest of a human). These seahorses are covered in rings of bony plates instead of scales. They have a long tail that can curl up into itself at the end. The color of these species can range from black, yellow, red, orange, and brown with white small white dots splattered throughout.
Size
On average they grow to 8 centimeters (3.1 inches).
Diet
Longsnout seahorses are ambush predators, meaning that they sit and wait for prey rather than going out to hunt for them. They typically eat small marine crustaceans such as shrimp and plankton. Only feeding during light hours, these seahorses will use their long snout to suck live prey into their mouths. Because they do not have teeth, they swallow prey whole.
Reproduction
Longsnout seahorses are pair-bonded, meaning that a single male and female will mate for life. Males will court females by presenting dramatic displays of color change, pouch size, and graceful swimming. Although the breeding season peaks between October and February, this species can reproduce year-round. Females will deposit up to 1,600 eggs into the male’s pouch. Eggs will be fertilized and eventually develop and hatch in the male pouch. Egg development takes approximately two weeks. When released, newborn seahorses appear identical to mature seahorses, but at a much smaller size (averaging 1.2 millimeters or 0.05 inches) in diameter.
Behavior
Longsnout seahorses are often found using their curved tail to attach and rest on structures such as mangroves, seaweeds, or soft corals. They are also known to attach themselves to man-made structures such as fishnets, wooden piers, nylon ropes, and cages. Because seahorses cannot swim quickly, in order to avoid predators they will often hide in available structures. This makes them particularly susceptible to accidental removal during collection of nets or other fishing gear. When mating, male and female seahorses will grasp tails and swirl around each other.
Adaptation
Longsnout seahorses have a long tubular, toothless snout that allows them to catch prey, and a prehensile tail that curls inward allowing them to grab hold of stabilizing structures such as coral or seagrass. They have two pectoral fins that allow upward and downward movement and help balance them. The dorsal fin allows seahorses to move forward and backward. Using a combination of these fins allows seahorses to move wherever they want! These seahorses can be found in a variety of colors that can change depending on immediate surroundings and water temperature.
Conservation
There are no conservation measures for this species specifically; however, the entire genus Hippocampus is subject to special protection in Mexico and Brazil. Only registered fishers are allowed to collect and sell marine ornamental fishes, such as long snout seahorses. As part of general conservation, longsnout seahorses are found in some marine protected areas, subject to international trade controls, and are included in education and awareness programs.
Special Notes
Males give birth to their offspring! Males typically have a smaller habitat range than females; this behavior is possibly because the male brooding pouch lends itself to lower mobility.
When these seahorses go to “sleep”, they wrap their tails around a holdfast and stay there until dawn.
Seahorses can rapidly change their coloration to blend with their immediate surroundings.
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
Longsnout Seahorse
Hippocampus reidi
CONSERVATION STATUS: Near threatened
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
These seahorses may be found from North Carolina to Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Typically, they are found attached to mangroves, seagrasses, or soft corals. the seahorses can also be found free swimming or nearby floating brown seaweed. The longsnout seahorse can be found at depths of 0-55 meters (0-180 feet); however, younger individuals tend to stay near shallow habitats.
Longsnout seahorses generally have a narrow body, a long thick snout, and a crown-shaped piece of skin located at the top of the head known as a “coronet”. They have a low, round tubercle (outward projection of the body that might remind us of the stomach or chest of a human). These seahorses are covered in rings of bony plates instead of scales. They have a long tail that can curl up into itself at the end. The color of these species can range from black, yellow, red, orange, and brown with white small white dots splattered throughout.
On average they grow to 8 centimeters (3.1 inches).
Longsnout seahorses are ambush predators, meaning that they sit and wait for prey rather than going out to hunt for them. They typically eat small marine crustaceans such as shrimp and plankton. Only feeding during light hours, these seahorses will use their long snout to suck live prey into their mouths. Because they do not have teeth, they swallow prey whole.
Longsnout seahorses are pair-bonded, meaning that a single male and female will mate for life. Males will court females by presenting dramatic displays of color change, pouch size, and graceful swimming. Although the breeding season peaks between October and February, this species can reproduce year-round. Females will deposit up to 1,600 eggs into the male’s pouch. Eggs will be fertilized and eventually develop and hatch in the male pouch. Egg development takes approximately two weeks. When released, newborn seahorses appear identical to mature seahorses, but at a much smaller size (averaging 1.2 millimeters or 0.05 inches) in diameter.
Longsnout seahorses are often found using their curved tail to attach and rest on structures such as mangroves, seaweeds, or soft corals. They are also known to attach themselves to man-made structures such as fishnets, wooden piers, nylon ropes, and cages. Because seahorses cannot swim quickly, in order to avoid predators they will often hide in available structures. This makes them particularly susceptible to accidental removal during collection of nets or other fishing gear. When mating, male and female seahorses will grasp tails and swirl around each other.
Longsnout seahorses have a long tubular, toothless snout that allows them to catch prey, and a prehensile tail that curls inward allowing them to grab hold of stabilizing structures such as coral or seagrass. They have two pectoral fins that allow upward and downward movement and help balance them. The dorsal fin allows seahorses to move forward and backward. Using a combination of these fins allows seahorses to move wherever they want! These seahorses can be found in a variety of colors that can change depending on immediate surroundings and water temperature.
There are no conservation measures for this species specifically; however, the entire genus Hippocampus is subject to special protection in Mexico and Brazil. Only registered fishers are allowed to collect and sell marine ornamental fishes, such as long snout seahorses. As part of general conservation, longsnout seahorses are found in some marine protected areas, subject to international trade controls, and are included in education and awareness programs.
Males give birth to their offspring! Males typically have a smaller habitat range than females; this behavior is possibly because the male brooding pouch lends itself to lower mobility.
When these seahorses go to “sleep”, they wrap their tails around a holdfast and stay there until dawn.
Seahorses can rapidly change their coloration to blend with their immediate surroundings.