Order: Syngnathiformes

Family: Syngnathidae - Seahorses and Pipefish

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Sub Family: Hippocampinae - Seahorses
Sub Family: Syngnathinae - Pipefish

Family: Syngnathidae - Seahorses and Pipefish.

Distinct in their general appearance many  Syngnathidae remain undescribed in the Indo Pacific region. Found worldwide in  tropical and temperate waters.
Most live on shallow reefs, sea grass beds or on the substrate of sheltered bays and lagoons in various depths. We have observed individuals in 6inches of water and deep sea trawlers have bought up species living at depths of  500m. 

The family Syngnathiform are generally separated into the sub families by the presence or absence of a caudal (tail) fin the Seahorse does not possess one, instead they have a tail which they use to anchor themselves in place, illustrated left.


A Pipefish looks like a straight Seahorse and usually has some form of caudal fin, a dorsal fin is always present and is their main form of locomotion, ventral fins are never present. Both have a tube like snout and trumpet like mouth which can not be opened, instead they hoover up their food of small crustaceans from crevices and holes. 

A series of bony rings encase the body of Seahorses and Pipefish making it quite difficult to out swim most predators, they are therefore very well camouflaged by colour and body form with appendages which disrupt the body outline. Their adult size ranges from 1.5cm to almost 40cm in length.



Sub Family: Hippocampinae - Seahorses.
The unique reproduction system of the Seahorse means that the male becomes pregnant, he has a pouch called a marsupium into which the female seahorse lays her eggs. He will fertilize them, then incubate them for about 2/3 weeks during which time they develop into perfect miniatures of their parents and finally released.

Most seahorses mate for life displaying affection morning and night, during the day they separate to feed, although some may hunt together or remain stationary as a pair. Their adult size ranges from 1.5cm to almost 40cm in length.



Sadly as many as 20 million Seahorses are captured each year for the Chinese Traditional Medicine Market, believing that the creatures contain aphrodisiac powers many have been hunted close to extinction. Scuba divers also have a part to play for the creatures survival, as they are very sensitive and suffer a lot of stress if disturbed.

When observing them good buoyancy control is vital and photography should be unobtrusive, if the animal begins to move it should be left alone, otherwise it may attempt to rehome itself, thus making it more susceptible to predation.

Seahorses and Pipefish are favorites among the aquarium trade but should never be captured from the wild as they will not survive. Those bread in captivity fair much better in tanks.



Hippocampus Bargibanti - Pygmy Seahorse
Its distribution ranges from Southern Japan to Northern Australia. Preferring deeper waters of of 20m+ and current prone areas this tiny creature associates with the Muricella spp - Gorgonian Sea Fan.
Unknown to Man until the late 60's they were discovered by accident when a biologist collected a sea fan sample. Even today they are quite difficult to find due to their choice of habitat, with divers soon running short of bottom time when searching the fans at depth, in addition strong currents are often present.

Highly cryptic to fascinating proportions their tiny bodies are covered in small rounded projecting outgrowth (tubacles) to match the colour and texture of the red polyps of their sea fan habitat.

Perfectly camouflaged among retracted red polyps, image below left shows the polyps open, giving the fan a much bushier appearance thus hiding the seahorse deeper inside its branches.

This species has a shorter snout than most seahorses and grows to a maximum size of 2.5 - 3cm in length.
Photographing these fine looking creatures is also a challenge, a good macro lens is required, supported by a steady hand in strong currents.

Unfortunately we have been witness to photographers breaking coral branches and attempting to move the creature in order to obtain the desired shot, this behaviour is deplorable - (rest assured they were told in no uncertain terms).

Here are a few photo tips:

1. Speak to your guide and ascertain where you will find your Pygmy Seahorse subject.

2. Choose slack tide or low current times to conduct your dive.

3. If possible visit the site on several occasions for the best chance of finding it in a favourable position.

4. Select your macro photo equipment, for example 105mm lens or switch to macro function.

5. Be mindful of the creature and surrounding coral, taking only four or five shots to minimise their disturbance.

6. Be patient and have a patient buddy !

7. Remember a contented Pygmy will stay in the same fan for many months making revisits possible.



Hippocampus denise - Pygmy Seahorse

In January 2003 a new species of pygmy Seahorse was described, commonly known as Denise's Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus denise) !

This delightful little critter bears many similarities to H. bargibanti (a very close relative) but is much smaller in overall size, it is also highly mobile moving freely around the host seafan.

The animal characteristically displays less tubercles than its cousin H. bargibanti and typically inhabits shallower depths , it will also tend to be less host specific associating with a wider variety of seafans.

Although relatively uncommon the distribution of this creature is thought to be widespread throughout the Indo Pacific region and has been documented from Pulau to Borneo and Indonesian waters.





Hippocampus cf kuda - Hairy Seahorse
Found in sandy bays and lagoons this species is distinguished for its well camouflaged " hairy " type filaments. Growing up to 15cm, the individual photographed here was a juvenile of approx' 2cm. Photographed in 5m of water - South China Sea, Sabah.












New Species of Pygmy Seahorse Discovered in Malaysian Waters !

Hippocampus sp
To date we have been unable to conclude the identity of the Pygmy Seahorse seen here.

This example was extremely small, smaller infact than any H.bargibanti that we have seen before, as a result it was extremely difficult to photograph. It bares close resemblance to one found by an Indonesian guide named Pontoh in Manado which also remains unidentified.

A very thin species with two branching appendages on the back, our find is different in colour to that currently described by Pontoh.

There appears to be habitat differences: Pontohs associates with a Hydroid (Sertularella sp) found in a sheltered location, whereas  we found ours anchored to a Muricella sp Gorgonian Sea Fan in a current prone area. Pontoh is said to prefer shallow water where as ours was found at 26m. Both are very mobile creatures.

With a cream coloured spot on the snout and a mane like stripe beginning between the eyes and running along the dorsum the full length of the body, it is visibly different in appearance to Pontoh's although some similarities do exist.

We welcome any assistance in identifying this elaborate species.




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