Common or Yellow Seahorse Hippocampus kuda

Seahorses are fish, named after the horsehead-shape of their head and upper body. They can move their eyes independently and have a prehensile tail. The Common Seahorse, also called the Yellow or Estuarine Seahorse, is native to seagrass in mainly coastal waters, mangroves and reefs of the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Hawaii. It has no fronds on head or nape.

It can grow to some 20-30cm long. Prey is tiny crustaceans and fish sucked up the tubular snout. Seahorses don't swim well but drift in the current so they use their tail to anchor round an object.

Seahorses (all seahorses) are most unusual creatures in that it is the father that gives birth to the young. The female transfers eggs into a pouch on the male's abdomen; he then fertilises and carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch and are released to drift.

The population is vulnerable through habitat loss, shrimp fishing by-catch, catching for the aquarium trade and use for souvenirs, street food and Chinese traditional medicine.