Pacific Seahorse

Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens

Pacific Seahorse (1)Pacific Seahorse (2)Pacific Seahorse (3)Pacific Seahorse (4)Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens. Three fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, June 2011. Length: 15.2 cm (6.0 inches) to 17.7 cm (7.0 inches).

Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingensUnderwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, March 2018 and November 2023. Photographs courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.

Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens. Male. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, July 2023. Photographs courtesy of Kevin Erwin, Seattle, Washington.

Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens, Females. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, December 2022. Identifications and photographs courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.

Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens, Males. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, December 2022. Identifications and photographs courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.

Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens, Male and Female. Underwater photograph taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, December 2022. Identifications and photograph courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.

The Pacific Seahorse, Hippocampus ingens, is a member of the Pipefish and Seahorse or Syngnathidae Family, and is known in Mexico as caballito de Pacifico with family members known collectively as peces pipa and caballitos de mar. Globally, there are fifty species in the genus Hippocampus, of which four are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and one, this species, in the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Seahorse has an elongated body with a curved neck and a head at a right angle to the body. Their color varies from various shades of red, yellow, tan, brown, gray, black or green, which allows them to blend into their surroundings. Most have white spots or cross bands and lines. Mature females have a dark patch below their anal fin. Their head has an elongated snout with a crown-like structure on top that is moderately high in large males; it is tilted back with five points and a high plate at the front with prominent spines that can vary from rounded bumps to well-developed spines with blunt tips around the eyes and on the cheeks. Males have a large keel on their chests. Their anal fin is small with 4 rays; they do not have a caudal fin; their dorsal fin is large with an elevated base with 19 to 21 rays; and their pectoral fins are small and have 15 to 17 rays. Their body has 39 to 41 rings.

The Pacific Seahorse is normally found well offshore between the surface and depths of 107 m (350 feet). They are associated with reefs, weed beds, sea whips, and gorgonians. They reach a maximum of 30 cm (12 inches) in length. They lack teeth and stomachs and consume bottom-dwelling planktonic organisms using a sucking action. In turn they are preyed upon by Bluefin Tuna and Yellowfin Tuna. Reproduction involves females depositing eggs in the male’s broom pouch where they are fertilized and remain from 10 days to 6 weeks until they hatch as miniature adults. The Pacific Seahorse is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Pacific Seahorse is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Seahorse is straightforward to identify due to its characteristic shape and cannot be confused with any other species.

From a conservation perspective the Pacific Seahorse is currently considered to be Vulnerable with populations decreasing by 30% over the last ten years. They are prone to degradation of habitat from coastal development and commercial demand. They also have high site fidelity and relatively small broods. At present they remain unregulated. The Pacific Seahorse has historically been caught in abundance in Ecuadorian and Peruvian waters as a by-catch of shrimp trawlers at levels approaching 400,000 individuals per year. They are used throughout Latin America as curios, in traditional medicine, and in the live aquarium trade where they are sold at levels of 150,000 annually. They are available live via the internet for approximately $150.00 per specimen.