The Great Seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Syngnathidae family. It is a teleostfish. It is also known as the Kellogg’s Seahorse.

The Great Seahorse has a smooth, pale body. Its tail has tail rings. Its snout (nose) is thin with a stub end. Each eye moves separately, enabling it to see its predators from all directions. The male has a smooth, soft pouch-like area at the base of its abdomen, with a small fin. The female has a pointed stomach and a larger fin at the base of her abdomen.

It has a forward tilt, and a long, coiled tail. It swims using its dorsal fin, keeping its vertical position and leaning forward. 

It grows to about 17 centimetres (6 inches) tall. It has a longer tail than other seahorses.

It is found in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, from the coast of East Africa to Japan. It prefers to live in shallow waters in coral reefs, so that it can grip onto the branches.

It eats seaweed and plankton. It does not chew its food. It sucks up planktonic animals (like a vacuum cleaner) in its small mouth. It also eats crabs, shrimp, and other small aquatic animals.

It lives in colonies. 

The female transfers her eggs to the male. She squirts her eggs through the opening in the front of his dilated pouch. So, it is the male that is pregnant. The eggs hatch after a few weeks. The male looks after the young. The male Great Seahorse broods 300-700 young at a time. 

It lives for about 2 years, on average.

Location of photographs: Aquarium de Paris-Cinéaqua, France

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM