Short Snouted Seahorses (Hippocampus hippocampus) are delicate creatures and not very strong swimmers – they have a single fin running along their back to help them stay upright so they can usually be seen clinging onto seagrass and each other for support. They are masters of camouflage among the grasses and sandy bottoms and this helps them hide from predators. Seahorses have eyes that can move independently to one another, like a chameleon, and this helps them to spot any danger.
Did you know: This is one of the two seahorse species that can be found native to the UK? The other species is the Long Snouted Seahorse, or Spiny Seahorse.
The Short Snouted Seahorse is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. They are threatened by environmental pollution and damage to their seagrass habitat.
We 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 behaviours 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.
Type
Fish
What do they eat?
Plankton, krill
Size
15cm
Water Type
Cold saltwater
Where are we?
North Atlantic, UK coasts
See Us At
Sunken Shipwreck
Conservation
We can all help contribute to the sustainability of our waters. Conserving the future for species such as the Short Snouted Seahorse.