Big-Bellied Seahorses (Hippocampus abdominalis) are one of the largest species of seahorse, reaching a maximum size of 35cm however usually are around 18cm fully stretched out.
These warm water dwellers have a few unique adaptations to help them thrive in their environment. Their skin is made up of tiny interlocking bony plates rather than the scales that you would expect on a fish. They have eyes they can move independently from each other, like a chameleon, to help them spot any predators or prey in the area. Seahorses are not very strong swimmers and so they can often be seen clinging onto their surroundings or each other for stability.
Egg-laying is tasked to the male in seahorse species’, with the female individuals depositing their eggs inside the male pouch. Seahorses can give birth to hundreds of fully-formed babies at a time and can have thousands of babies across a one year period! Sounds like they have a busy life!
Type
Fish
What do they eat?
Plankton, krill
Size
35cm
Water Type
Tropical saltwater
Where are we?
Australia and New Zealand
See Us At
Learning LabWe hope you enjoy this short film showcasing one of the weirdest groups of fish that inhabit our oceans – seahorses.
Learn about some of the features and behaviors that make these creatures so strange, as well as the challenges they face in todays ever threatened marine environment. Filmed in-house around our very own seahorse tanks, with production, editing, and narration all done by one of our Guest Experience Assistants and amateur filmmaker Billy Tonkin.
Captive Breeding
We have successfully bred hundreds of Big-Bellied Seahorses to date – spot the little ones in the nursery tanks!