Big-bellied seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis) are usually found among seagrasses in the shallows around Australia and New Zealand. They are actually one of the largest seahorse species in the World!
Like all seahorse species, they use their strong tails to cling to grasses (or one another!) so they can live comfortably within the currents. They’re not very good swimmers so rely on their tails for stability in the water. They can often be found using man made items to attach themselves too.
Called big-bellied seahorses because of their pot bellies, they are often mistaken for being pregnant. Interestingly its actually the males that carry the young and they’ll shoot out hundreds of tiny (but fully formed) seahorses. They give birth to so many young because survival rates are low, parents do not care for the young once they are born but instead give birth to them in dense seagrasses in the hope to give them the best chance of survival.
Type
Fish
What do they eat?
Plankton and krill
Size
35cm
Water Type
Salt
Where are we?
Australia and New Zealand