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Australian Seahorses

Rudie Kuiter in his book "Seahorses, pipefishes and their relatives" suggests there are more than 60 species of seahorse worldwide but the number is in debate. Some suggest the number is as few as 33. Australia has up to 25 species (Kuiter 2001) with new species still being identified from time to time. Below is a brief summary of the Australian species as described by Kuiter (2001).

• Hippocampus minotaur (Bullneck seahorse). Southern NSW, Bass strait.
• Hippocampus bargibanti (Pygmy seahorse). Australia (QLD) to Japan.
• Hippocampus jugumus (Collared seahorse). Only known from 1 specimen off Lord Howe Island
• Hippocampus kampylotrachelos (Smooth seahorse). Indonesia and Timor Sea. Australian specimen known from Ashmore Reef (WA).
• Hippocampus dahli (Low-crown seahorse). Coastal waters from Moreton Bay (QLD) to Darwin.
• Hippocampus planifrons (Flat-face seahorse). Only known from Shark Bay and Broome (WA).
• Hippocampus biocellatus (False-eyed seahorse). Shark Bay (WA) in shallow algae or weedy reef habitats from the intertidal zone to 20m depth.
• Hippocampus breviceps (Short-head seahorse). South Australian Gulfs, Bass Strait and Tasmania.
• Hippocampus tuberculatus (Knobby seahorse). Perth to Onslow (WA).
• Hippocampus taeniopterus (Common seahorse)Moluccan seas, Papua New Guinea, Darwin, tropical waters off the east coast (from about Brisbane north).
• Hippocampus tristis (Sad seahorse). Northern NSW, southern QLD and Lord Howe Island.
• Hippocampus alatus (Winged seahorse). Northern Australia from WA to Cape York and Papua New Guinea.
• Hippocampus queenslandicus (Queensland seahorse). Queensland coast (inner reef waters).
• Hippocampus semispinosus (Half-spined seahorse). Uncertain but possibly off the northwest shelf of Australia.
• Hippocampus abdominalis (Eastern Potbelly seahorse). Eden to Newcastle NSW and New Zealand.
• Hippocampus bleekeri (Southern Potbelly seahorse). Known as ‘Southern Knights’ in the Australian aquarium industry. Very similar to H. abdominalis and previously grouped as the same species. South Australia, Bass Strait and Tasmania.
• Hippocampus zebra (Zebra seahorse). Beautifully striped seahorse known only from a few specimens off the Queensland coast and Milne Bay Papua New Guinea.
• Hippocampus montebelloensis (Monte Bello seahorse). Only known from Monte Bello Island and Exmouth Gulf in WA.
• Hippocampus whitei (White’s seahorse). Estuaries and harbours of NSW.
• Hippocampus procerus (High-crown seahorse). Southern QLD in algae reefs.
• Hippocampus elongatus (West Australian seahorse). West coast north to about Kalbarri.
• Hippocampus spinosissimus (Hedgehog seahorse). Unconfirmed in Australia. Sapeh Strait, Komodo.
• Hippocampus multispinus (Northern Spiny seahorse). NW Western Australia and Northern Territory, also known from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
• Hippocampus histrix (Thorny seahorse). Widespread species (Japan to Indonesia and New Caledonia) but not formally known from Australia yet.
• Hippocampus hendriki (Eastern Spiny seahorse). Great barrier reef QLD.
• Hippocampus angustus (Western Spiny seahorse). Central Coast of Western Australia.
• Hippocampus grandiceps (Big-head seahorse). Known only from the QLD side of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Reference: Kuiter, R.H. (2001) Revision of the Australian Seahorses of the Genus Hippocampus (Syngnathiformes:Syngnathidae) with Descriptions of Nine New Species. Records of the Australian Museum 53:293-340.

Other species.
Recently the world’s smallest seahorse was found off the coast of Indonesia by a researcher for Project Seahorse. Hippocampus denise is only 16mm long and was previously mistaken for juveniles of other species. For a great picture and more information see the Project Seahorse website at: http://www.seahorse.mcgill.ca/news.htm
For an interesting introduction to a wide number of seahorse species check out www.fishtothenth.com
www.austmus.gov.au/fishes/search.cfm