Species: Hippocampus ingens, Pacific seahorse
Hippocampus ingens Girard, 1858
Pacific seahorse
Neck curved, with head at about right angle to body; snout elongate; coronet (crown-like structure on top of head) moderately high (lower in large males), tilted back, with 5 points, a high plate at front; promintent spines at eye and (down-pointed)cheek; tubercles generally well developed, but becoming obscure in large males; male with a slight keel on chest; body rings 11-12 + 38-40; dorsal fin large, its base elevated, 19-21 rays; pectorals small, 15-17 rays; anal fin small, 4 rays; tail prehensile, curlable, without a tail fin ; brood pouch on trunk.
Color variable according to its surroundings (weed, rock, coral, etc.); generally various shades of red, yellow, tan, brown, grey, black, or green; often with small blackish and white spots or whitish cross bands and lines.
Size: grows to about 30 cm.
Inhabits weed beds, sea-whips and gorgonians. Evidently also associates with flotsam because it has been collected at the surface and from the stomachs of tunas.
Depth: 1-60 m.
Southern California through the Gulf of California to Chile, including Cocos, Malpelo and the Galapagos.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Brackish
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Mud
- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Submerged vegetation
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Corals
- Flotsam
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
-
- No Data
- Zooplankton
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Brooded
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent + Island (s)
- Continent
- Island (s)
- TEP endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- IUCN Red List
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- Vulnerable
- Listed
- CITES
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- Appendix II
- Listed
- Length Max
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- 30
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 60
