Short-snouted Seahorse

Hippocampus hippocampus has potential to be up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long. They have a prominent spine above each eye. They have snouts that are short and upturned. Their snouts are about 1/3 of the length of their head. Their dorsal fin has 16–18 rays with a dark stripe that runs parallel to the margin and provides propulsion. Their pectoral fins have 13–15 rays and are located below the gill openings. Their pectoral fins are mostly utilized for stability and steering. Their angular appearance comes from the bony tubercles that are in the body rings. Their bodies can be black, purple, orange or brown. They have a tail that is unable to bend backwards but is considered semi-flexible. They use it as an anchor by wrapping it around coral or sea grass. The tail is also used to get hold of a partner during greeting and mating services.

Hippocampus hippocampus are typically found on the bottoms of rocks, in seaweed or in the edge of sea grass beds in shallow muddy water. They can only be found in waters that are up to 77 metres (253 ft) deep. They have a very restricted home range because they have very limited daily movements. The most of their movement occurs when storms occur and the seahorses are moved with the current or they are carried away because of their grasp on debris that is floating in the water. In the winters they typically move into the deeper water to escape rough seas. They will use their tails to anchor themselves to stems of plants and are able to camouflage very well. The short-snouted seahorse is found in the northeastern Atlantic, from northwestern Scotland and the Netherlands south to Senegal and into the Mediterranean Sea as well as in the coastal waters of the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. In Britain and Ireland, the distribution is influenced by the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream which create the conditions for higher productivity of plankton and this means that both this species and the long-snouted seahorse are found mainly on southern and western coasts but as the Gulf Stream flows into the North Sea to the north and south of the Great Britain small populations of both species do exist in the North Sea. …

On average, the adult seahorse will eat roughly between 30 and 50 tiny shrimp a day. Hippocampus hippocampus are known to be ambush predators who feed on live, moving food. They will remain still until a small animal passes within reach and then grab it. They do not have teeth or a stomach, so they use their snout to suck their food straight into their gut. Since the seahorse has no stomach, food passes through its digestive system quickly.