Lined Seahorse

The Lined Seahorse has a slender body with many thin lines that run along its head and back. Its color is highly variable, ranging from gray to brown, yellow, and even red or orange. It can grow distinct fleshy extensions that resemble algae on its head and body.

This Seahorse is often found alone, typically in shallow waters near seagrass beds, coral rubble, and mangrove roots. It also occasionally floats freely over sandy areas or drifts with Sargassum seaweed. It is not shy and usually remains still when approached, sometimes turning its head away. The Lined Seahorse is a stealthy predator, using its long snout like a pipette to suction up tiny crustaceans, which it hunts throughout the day. A unique aspect of its reproduction is that the female deposits her eggs into a pouch just below the male’s abdomen. The male fertilizes the eggs and carries them until they hatch and are released as fully formed juveniles.