Related FAQs: Seahorses & their Relatives,  Seahorses & their Relatives 2, Seahorse Identification, Seahorse Behavior, Seahorse Compatibility, Seahorse Selection, Seahorse Systems, Seahorse Systems 2, Seahorse Feeding, Seahorse Disease,  Seahorse Disease 2, Seahorse Reproduction, Related Articles: Seahorse Care Guide,  Color in Hippocampus, Part I, by Pete Giwojna and Ben Giwojna Fresh to Brackish Water Pipefishes, Solenostomidae (Ghost Pipefishes),  /The Conscientious Aquarist Of Leafy Dragons, Seahorses;   Family Syngnathidae Seahorses part 3 To:  part I, part II,

By Bob Fenner

Phallopteryx taeniolatus

Hippocampus kuda Bleeker 1852, the Common or Spotted Seahorse. Indo-Pacific; Pakistan, India, to Hawai'i, Society Islands. To a foot in length (stretched out). Found in calm waters amongst algae, seagrass. N. Sulawesi images at right, captive ones below.

Verticals (Full/Cover Page Sizes Available)

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Hippocampus moluccensis, considered by Fishbase.org as a nomen nudum for H. kuda. To 6.5 inches. Variable in color, browns, black to warm pastels. Knobby crown on head, sometimes with filaments. Solitary on open sand settings N. Sulawesi image.

Hippocampus pontohi, the Pontohi's Seahorse. N. Sulawesi images.
Verticals (Full/Cover Page Sizes Available)

Hippocampus taeniopterus, Common Seahorse. Dusky brown and black; females sometimes yellow with dark spots. Bali 2014 TiffB pic

In Europe this assemblage is augmented by the common H. hippocampus, the regal Mediterranean seahorse, H. ramulosus and the short-snouted Hippocampus brevirostris.

Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier 1829, the Long-Snouted Seahorse. Eastern Atlantic; British Isles to Morocco, Canary Islands. To six inches in length/height. SIO Aquarium photo.

Sea Dragons:

Leafy Seadragons are infrequently offered from their restricted ranges around Australia (where they are protected by law); they have a notoriously poor record of survivability in shipping and short lives if at all in aquariums. If you must try them, the two species least prone to die in my opinion are the Leafy Seadragon, Phycodurus eques and the common Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. These should be collected and attempted only as subadults, about half maximum size.

Phycodurus eques (Gunther 1865), the Leafy Seadragon. Southeastern Indian Ocean; South and Southwestern Australia. To fourteen inches in length.

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Phallopteryx taeniolatus (Lacepede 1804), the Common Seadragon. Indo-West Pacific;  southwestern Australia. To eighteen inches in length.  SIO pic

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size.

To:  part I, part II,