Slender seahorse
A subtropical seahorse with a two-week gestation period.
The slender seahorse, also called the longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi), belongs to the Syngnathidae family and typically lives in subtropical waters. Its scientific name honors Earl D. Reid, who worked in the Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian Institution. Adults reach about 6.8 inches (17.5 centimeters) in length, while juveniles average just 8.2 millimeters tall. Gestation lasts roughly two weeks. Males are generally orange, females yellow, and both sexes may have brown or white spots scattered on their bodies. During courtship, these spots can shift to pink or white. This species is found at depths up to 55 meters (180 feet), with smaller individuals staying in shallower water. It prefers coral reefs and seagrass beds, living on gorgonian coral, seagrass, mangroves, and Sargassum. Its range spans from 29° north to 25° south and 133° west to 40° east, and it is native to the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, the United States (Florida and North Carolina), and Venezuela. The species is common in China and even more so in Brazil, but in both regions it faces the risk of becoming endangered. In China, these seahorses are used for trade and traditional medicine; in Brazil, heavy trade involves the commercial extraction of 25 million seahorses each year.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Hippocampus
- Species
- reidi
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The specific name honors Earl D. Reid of the Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian Institution. Males are usually orange, while females are yellow, though both may have brown or white spots placed sporadically upon their body. These spots may change into a pink or white color during the courtship period. The slender seahorse has a gestation period of around two weeks and typically grows to be approximately 6.8 inches long, with juvenile mean height of only around 8.2 millimeters.
Reader's Guide
The slender seahorse is significant for its ecological role in coral reefs and seagrass beds, and for its heavy exploitation in trade. It is native to many countries including the Bahamas, Brazil, and the United States, and inhabits subtropical regions. In China, these seahorses are used for trade and traditionally Chinese medication, while in Brazil they are heavily traded, involving the commercial extraction of 25 million seahorses per year. The species is common in China and more so in Brazil, but in both areas is at risk of becoming an endangered species. Its affinity for gorgonian coral, seagrass, mangroves, and Sargassum highlights its habitat preferences, and it has been found at depths of 55 meters, with smaller individuals inhabiting shallower waters.
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