Despite their unique appearance, seahorses are actually members of the pipefish family! They have fins and gills, just like other fish, and feed by slurping food into their tube-like mouths.
Seahorses live in warm, temperate waters amongst sea grasses, mangroves, corals, and within estuaries. To avoid being swept away by shifting currents, they wrap their tails around the stems of vegetation.
There are more than 50 seahorse species worldwide; Long Island Aquarium’s Seahorse Exhibit features the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), which can be found locally.
Behind the scenes, Long Island Aquarium Aquarists maintain an active seahorse breeding program that helps supply the thriving pet trade – and other Aquariums – while preserving wild populations.
The male seahorse is definitely not your average guy. He's the one that gets pregnant and bears children!
The smallest seahorses in the world are referred to as pygmy seahorses! Pygmy seahorse species are little more than a half inch tall!