Stats

Lifespan: 1-5 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Pair
Biome: Coral reef
Range: Indo-Pacific
Movement: Swimming
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Appendix Ii

About

The common seahorse uses a tiny dorsal fin — beating up to 35 times per second — as its sole means of propulsion, gripping seagrass with its prehensile tail to avoid being swept away. In a rare reversal among vertebrates, the male carries fertilized eggs in a specialized brood pouch and gives birth to as many as 200 live young.

Life cycle

1.
hatchling fry
A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2.
juvenile
A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3.
adult
Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Hippocampus
Species: Hippocampus kuda