A small, slow, well-camouflaged fish that holds on to seagrass with its tail.
The long-snouted seahorse lives in shallow, sheltered waters where seagrass and algae give it something to hold on to with its tail.
Seahorses are unusual fish: they swim upright, use their tails to hold on to seagrass. It is a poor swimmer, so it relies on camouflage and its grip to avoid being swept away. Using its long snout like a straw, it sucks up tiny shrimp, mysids and other small crustaceans.
Like other seahorses, it is the male that becomes “pregnant”: the female deposits eggs into his pouch, and he carries and protects the developing young until they are born. In Maltese waters, both the long-snouted seahorse and the short-snouted seahorse have been recorded, and sightings of pregnant males suggest that Malta is an active breeding area for at least one seahorse species
Threats
Loss of seagrass meadows, disturbance and collecting for souvenirs.
How to help
Seahorses are protected, and even a gentle touch can harm them. If you dive or snorkel, avoid holding on to seagrass or standing on the seabed where seahorses live. Never buy dried seahorses or seahorse souvenirs, and if you spot one, enjoy the moment and move on without disturbing it.
Photo: jujurenoult, CC BY 4.0.
