The longsnout seahorse or slender seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) is a species of fish in the Syngnathidae

Syngnathidae

Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes the seahorses, the pipefishes, and the weedy and leafy sea dragons. The name is derived from Greek, meaning "fused jaw" - syn meaning fused or together, and gnathus meaning jaws. This fused jaw trait is something the entire family has in common...

 family.

Description

The longsnout seahorse typically grows to be approximately 6.8 inches long (17.5 centimeters). Males and females are easily distinguished due to their bright colors. Males are usually orange, while the females are yellow. However, both males an females may have brown or white spots placed sporadically upon their body. These spots may also change into a pink or white color during the courtship period.

Habitat and Distribution

The longsnout seahorse has been found at depths of 55 meters. The smaller the size of the longsnout seahorse, the greater the chance that they will be in shallower waters compared to more mature ones. Longsnout seahorses have an affinity for coral reefs and sea grass beds and can be found on gorgonian coral, seagrass

Seagrass

Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...

, mangroves and Sargassum

Sargassum

Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalga in the order Fucales. Numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral reefs. However, the genus may be best known for its planktonic species...

. The longsnout seahorse is native to the following countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, United States (Florida and North Carolina), and Venezuela. They inhabit subtropical regions, ranging from 29 degrees North to 25 degrees South and 133 degrees West to 40 degrees West.

Source

• Project Seahorse 2003. Hippocampus reidi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 August 2007.