Seahorses are named after the horsehead-shape of their head. The Slender Seahorse is native to seagrass, coral reefs and even mangroves
of much of tropical east coast of the Americas from Bermuda to Brazil. It is also called the Long-snouted Seahorse, a name also given to the
Spiny Seahorse, H. guttulatus, of Europe. Prey is tiny crustaceans and tiny fish sucked up the tubular snout.
The biggest predator of the seahorses themselves is mankind, with a commercial operation in Brazil harvesting some 25 million/year,
mainly for tourist souvenirs and the captive trade, threatening the species survival. They are also threatened by fishing by-catch, habitat loss through
coastal development and being used for traditional medicine.