---
title: Seahorses (Hippocampus)
scientific_name: Hippocampus
common_name: Seahorses
rank: Genus
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T21:16:35.760Z
tags: Seahorses, Hippocampus, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/seahorses
---

# Seahorses (*Hippocampus*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Genus
- **Scientific name:** Hippocampus
- **Body shape:** Irregular - No standard fish outline - seahorses, frogfishes, ghost pipefishes.
- **Species listed here:** 4

## How to recognise this group

- distinct horse-like head and neck
- rigid body in upright, vertical posture
- body encased in segmented bony plates
- curled, prehensile tail used for clinging
- often with skin filaments or spines for camouflage

Seahorses are marine fishes characterized by an upright posture, a distinctive horse-like head and neck, and a curled prehensile tail. Their bodies are encased in segmented bony plates, often adorned with variable skin filaments or spines that enhance camouflage. Sizes among the group range from 2 cm to 18 cm (0.8-7.1 in) in length. The genus name Hippocampus is derived from Greek, meaning "sea horse".

This group inhabits sheltered reef areas, seagrass beds, and macroalgae, where individuals cling to corals, sponges, or hydroids using their tails. They are found from shallow subtidal zones down to 40 m (130 ft) deep. Seahorses are suction feeders, primarily consuming small crustaceans and other zooplankton. Males brood eggs within a specialized ventral pouch. Their cryptic nature and camouflage make them challenging for divers to locate.


## Species (4)

- [Egyptian Seahorse (Hippocampus suezensis)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/seahorses/egyptian-seahorse)
- [Jayakar's Seahorse (Hippocampus jayakari)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/seahorses/jayakars-seahorse)
- [Softcoral Seahorse (Hippocampus debelius)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/seahorses/softcoral-seahorse)
- [Spotted Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/seahorses/spotted-seahorse)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/seahorses)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*