Seahorses range in size from 1.5 to 35.5 cm (0.6 to 14.0 in). They are named for their equine appearance, with bent necks and long snouted heads and a distinctive trunk and tail. Although they are bony fish, they do not have scales, but rather thin skin stretched over a series of bony plates, which are arranged in rings throughout their bodies. Each species has a distinct number of rings. The armor of bony plates also protects them against predators, and because of this outer skeleton, they no longer have ribs. Seahorses swim upright, propelling themselves using the dorsal fin, another characteristic not shared by their close pipefish relatives, which swim horizontally. Razorfish are the only other fish that swim vertically. The pectoral fins, located on either side of the head behind their eyes, are used for steering. They lack the caudal fin typical of fishes. Their prehensile tail can only be unlocked in the most extreme conditions. They are adept at camouflage, and can grow and reabsorb spiny appendages depending on their habitat. Unusually among fish, a seahorse has a flexible, well-defined neck. It also sports a crown-like spine or horn on its head, termed a "coronet", which is distinct for each species. Seahorses swim very poorly, rapidly fluttering a dorsal fin and using pectoral fins to steer. The slowest-moving fish in the world is H. zosterae (the dwarf seahorse), with a top speed of about 5 ft (1.5 m) per hour. Since they are poor s... Learn more about Seahorse and pipefish
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Seahorse and Pipefish Species Videos
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Common Name | Scientific Name | Conservation Status |
Alligator Pipefish (9 videos) | Syngnathoides biaculeatus | Least concern |
Atlantic Cornetfish (8 videos) | Aulostomus strigosus | Least concern |
Banded Pipefish (3 videos) | Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus | Least concern |
Banded Pipefish (3 videos) | Micrognathus crinitus | Least concern |
Barbour's Seahorse (2 videos) | Hippocampus barbouri | Vulnerable |
Bay Pipefish (1 videos) | Syngnathus leptorhynchus | Least concern |
Big-belly Seahorse (2 videos) | Hippocampus abdominalis | Least concern |
Bluespotted Cornetfish (76 videos) | Fistularia commersonii | Least concern |
Broadnosed Pipefish (2 videos) | Syngnathus typhle | Least concern |
Common Seahorse (34 videos) | Hippocampus taeniopterus | Not Available |
Cornetfish (117 videos) | Fistularia tabacaria | Least concern |
Delicate Ghostpipefish (3 videos) | Solenostomus leptosoma | Not Available |
Denise's Pygmy Seahorse (128 videos) | Hippocampus denise | Data deficient |
Double-ended Pipefish (27 videos) | Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus | Least concern |
Fantail Pipefish (8 videos) | Doryrhamphus excisus | Least concern |
Fisher's Seahorse (1 videos) | Hippocampus fisheri | Least concern |
Flat-faced Seahorse (1 videos) | Hippocampus kampylotrachelos | Not Available |
Ghost Pipefish (547 videos) | Solenostomus cyanopterus | Least concern |
Half-spined Seahorse (1 videos) | Hippocampus semispinosus | Not Available |
Halimeda Ghostpipefish (6 videos) | Solenostomus halimeda | Data deficient |
Harlequin Ghost Pipefish (308 videos) | Solenostomus paradoxus | Least concern |
Hedgehog Seahorse (5 videos) | Hippocampus spinosissimus | Vulnerable |
Janss' Pipefish (1 videos) | Doryrhamphus janssi | Least concern |
Japanese Seahorse (10 videos) | Hippocampus mohnikei | Not Available |
Jayakar's Seahorse (32 videos) | Hippocampus jayakari | Least concern |
Leafy Sea Dragon (513 videos) | Phycodurus eques | Least concern |
Long-snouted Seahorse (10 videos) | Hippocampus guttulatus | Data deficient |
Longsnout Seahorse (1 videos) | Hippocampus reidi | Near threatened |
Messmate Pipefish (1 videos) | Corythoichthys haematopterus | Least concern |
Mushroom-coral Pipefish (9 videos) | Siokunichthys nigrolineatus | Data deficient |
Network Pipefish (8 videos) | Corythoichthys flavofasciatus | Least concern |
Ocean Pipefish ( videos) | Entelurus aequoreus | Not Available |
Ornate Pipefish (23 videos) | Halicampus macrorhynchus | Least concern |
Pacific Seahorse (35 videos) | Hippocampus ingens | Vulnerable |
Pipehorse (16 videos) | Acentronura dendritica | Least concern |
Pontoh's Pygmy Seahorse (5 videos) | Hippocampus pontohi | Least concern |
Pygmy Seahorse (381 videos) | Hippocampus bargibanti | Data deficient |
Red Cornetfish (8 videos) | Fistularia petimba | Least concern |
Ringed Pipefish (8 videos) | Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus | Data deficient |
Schultz's Pipefish (1 videos) | Corythoichthys schultzi | Least concern |
Scribbled Pipefish (2 videos) | Corythoichthys intestinalis | Least concern |
Short-snouted Seahorse (612 videos) | Hippocampus hippocampus | Data deficient |
Shortnose Pipefish (4 videos) | Micrognathus andersonii | Least concern |
Shortpouch Pygmy Pipehorse (4 videos) | Acentronura tentaculata | Least concern |
Spotted Seahorse (0 videos) | Hippocampus kuda | Not Available |
Straightnosed Pipefish (4 videos) | Nerophis ophidion | Least concern |
Straightstick Pipefish (2 videos) | Trachyrhamphus longirostris | Least concern |
Thorny Seahorse (67 videos) | Hippocampus histrix | Vulnerable |
Tiger Tail Seahorse (39 videos) | Hippocampus comes | Vulnerable |
Weedy Sea Dragon (348 videos) | Phyllopteryx taeniolatus | Least concern |
White's Seahorse (1 videos) | Hippocampus whitei | Endangered |
Whitenose Pipefish (3 videos) | Cosmocampus albirostris | Least concern |
Yellow Banded Pipefish (3 videos) | Dunckerocampus pessuliferus | Least concern |
Zebra Seahorse (3 videos) | Hippocampus zebra | Data deficient |