Spotted Seahorse
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Scientific Name: Hippocampus kuda
Habitat: Tropical waters, in seagrass and marine algae areas, river estuaries, and outer coral reefs
Diet: Zooplankton
Threats: Tourist activities, traditional Chinese medicine trade, aquarium trade, coastal development, marine plastic pollution
Predators: Larger fishes like groupers, snappers, eels
Spotted Seahorses face several significant threats:
Tourist Activities: Disturbance and habitat degradation caused by tourism.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Trade: They are heavily exploited for their use in traditional medicine.
Aquarium Trade: Overexploitation for the pet trade.
Coastal Development: Habitat loss due to construction and development along coastlines.
Hippocampus kuda, the Spotted Seahorse, inhabits tropical waters in seagrass beds, marine algae areas, and coral reefs. They feed on zooplankton and small crustaceans through suction feeding. Major threats include tourism, traditional medicine trade, aquarium trade, coastal development, and plastic pollution. Predators include larger fishes like groupers and eels. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this species requires ongoing conservation efforts to mitigate these threats and ensure their survival () () () ().
The Spotted Seahorse, scientifically known as Hippocampus kuda, inhabits tropical waters in various environments such as seagrass beds, marine algae areas, river estuaries, lagoons, harbors, and outer coral reefs. They are commonly found in shallow waters up to 55 meters deep and can sometimes be seen in open waters attached to drifting seaweed like Sargassum () () ().
Hippocampus kuda primarily feeds on zooplankton and small crustaceans. They are ambush predators, using their long snouts to suck in prey. Their diet includes amphipods, copepods, and other tiny marine organisms, which they capture through suction feeding () ().
Marine Plastic Pollution: Ingestion of plastic debris can be harmful and even fatal to seahorses () () ().
Natural predators of the Spotted Seahorse include larger fishes such as groupers, snappers, and eels. They are also preyed upon by crabs and rays () ().
Hippocampus kuda is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Conservation efforts focus on regulating the trade of seahorses, protecting their habitats, and raising awareness about the threats they face. Sustainable practices in the aquarium trade and enforcement of laws against illegal capture are also crucial () ().
