Seahorse is the name given to 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippokampos, itself from hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning "sea monster". Having a head and neck suggestive of a horse, seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled prehensile tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons they form the order Syngnathidae.
The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons. The name is derived from Greek, σύν (syn), meaning "together", and γνάθος (gnathos), meaning "jaw". This fused jaw trait is something the entire family has in common.
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon is a marine fish related to the seahorses. Adult common seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple markings; they have small leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp fronds providing camouflage and a number of short spines for protection. Males have narrower bodies and are darker than females. Seadragons have a long dorsal fin along the back and small pectoral fins on either side of the neck, which provide balance. Common seadragons can reach 45 cm (18 in) in length.
Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons, form the family Syngnathidae.
The Syngnathiformes are an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the pipefishes and seahorses.
The pygmy seahorses comprise several species of tiny seahorse in the syngnathid family or Syngnathidae. Family Syngnathidae is part of order Syngnathiformes, which contains fishes with fused jaws that suck food into tubular mouths. They are found in Southeast Asia in the Coral Triangle area. They are some of the smallest seahorse species in the world, typically measuring less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height.
Hippocampus bargibanti, also known as Bargibant's seahorse or the pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the central Indo-Pacific area.
Hippocampus denise, also known as Denise's pygmy seahorse or the yellow pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae native to the western Pacific.
Hippocampus kuda, also known as the common seahorse, estuary seahorse, yellow seahorse or spotted seahorse is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae native to the Indo-Pacific. The common name sea pony has been used for this species under its synonym Hippocampus fuscus.
The bullneck seahorse is a pygmy seahorse in the genus Hippocampus. This seahorse has never been found in the wild, and little is known about its natural habitat. The only known specimens were collected on the coast of Eden, Australia. It is thought to live in sand beds at the bottom of the ocean, possibly wrapping its prehensile tail around gorgonian corals. The seahorse is among the 25 “most wanted lost” species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's “Search for Lost Species” initiative.
Duncker's pipehorse, also known as the nose-ridge pipefish, red-and-gold pipehorse, red-hair pipefish or spiny sea dragon, is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. It is a pelagic species which is found in the waters of the continental shelf and the continental slope. Fishermen within its range report that it is caught where there are hard substrates such as hard sand, shale, sandstone or gravel and they are often caught alongside gorgonians, black corals, algae or sponges. It is an ovoviviparous species in which the male bears the fertilised eggs in a brood pouch located under his tail. It is a carnivorous species which feeds on small planktonic crustacean.
Cephalopholis miniata, coral grouper, coral hind, coral rock cod, coral cod, coral trout, round-tailed trout or vermillion seabass is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is associated with coral reefs and occurs in the Indo-Pacific.
The spiny seahorse, also referred to as the thorny seahorse, is a small marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, native to the Indo-Pacific area. It is classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN.
The Hippocampinae are a subfamily of small marine fishes in the family Syngnathidae. Depending on the classification system used, it comprises either seahorses and pygmy pipehorses, or only seahorses.
Acentronura is a genus of pygmy pipehorse native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. The name is derived from the Greek ακεντρονουρα, or a-kentron-oura, and refers to the lack of a sting on the tail.
Amphelikturus dendriticus, the pipehorse, is a species of pygmy pipehorse native to the western Atlantic Ocean. This small, highly camouflaged pipefish is rarely seen. This species grows to a length of 7.5 centimetres (3.0 in) TL. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Acentronura gracilissima, the bastard seahorse, is a species of pygmy pipehorse from the coastal waters of Japan and Vietnam, it is expected to occur elsewhere but reports in other areas need to be confirmed. It occurs on rock and algae reefs downto depths of 40 metres (130 ft) where it feeds on mysids, small crabs, fish larvae and probably also on harpacticoid copepods and gammarid shrimps as recorded in other species in the family Syngnathidae. The bastard seahorse is ovoviviparous; the males incubate the eggs in a brood pouch located under the tail.
Acentronura tentaculata, the shortpouch pygmy pipehorse , northern little pipehorse, or dwarf pipehorse, is a species of pygmy pipehorse from the family Syngnathidae. The status of this species is debated and Acentronura breviperula is considered to be subsumed within this species by some authorities. The exact distribution of this species may be as wide as the western Indo-Pacific region from East Africa to New Caledonia and the northern Great Barrier Reef. Other authorities however describe Acentronura tentaculata as being endemic to the Red Sea.
Hippocampus pontohi, also known as Pontoh's pygmy seahorse or the weedy pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae native to the central Indo-pacific. Named after Hence Pontoh, the Indonesian dive guide from Bunaken (Manado) who first brought these pygmy seahorses to attention.
Maroubra perserrata, also known as the sawtooth pipefish is a species of marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae. This species can be found at depths up to 20 meters along the coast of Australia from southern Queensland to southern Western Australia. While they can live in many different habitats, they are often found inhabiting openings in reefs and rocks that contain algae and invertebrates, which they likely rely on for camouflage. Reproduction occurs through ovoviviparity in which the males brood eggs for roughly 22 days before giving live birth. Maroubra perserrata is considered more mobile than many pipefish species due to its prehensile tail and reduced caudal fin.
