Pacific Seahorse
Hippocampus ingens

Appearance: The body and tail are covered with bony rings. The tail is long and coiled. There is no caudal fin. Horse-shaped head. Color varies, red, tan, yellow, green, with white bands. Average size ranges from 4 to 8 inches, maximum 12 inches.

Range: San Diego to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands.

Diet: Tiny Grass Shrimp, but in captivity they consume Brine Shrimp.

Interesting Facts:

• Males have a brood pouch on the abdomen and tail
• The female places her eggs in the pouch, thus allowing the male to carry the eggs until they hatch
• At least 20 million seahorses are taken from the sea each year. 95% are used in traditional Asian medicine.