Spotted Seahorse (Estuarine Seahorse)

Despite its name, not all spotted seahorses have obvious spots. Nevertheless, it is an extremely cool creature that blends in well with the seagrass meadows it lives in! Like a monkey hanging from tree branches, the spotted seahorse has a prehensile tail to anchor itself onto seagrasses and seaweeds in the intertidal zone, preventing it from being swept away by the currents!

Sadly, the spotted seahorse is listed as “Critically Endangered” in Singapore. In fact, seahorses are threatened worldwide due to habitat loss and overharvesting for use in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also frequently collected for the aquarium and souvenir trades. That’s why it is illegal to sell wild-caught seahorses in Singapore!