Greetings iSeahorse users and friends!

March's featured observation is from Koh Tao, Thailand. It was made by Media-Aspidea, a.k.a. Rahul M., who has quite a knack for nature photography as you can see in his shot of the hedgehog seahorse, Hippocampus spinosissimus.

This species is often found in muddy or silty habitats, in deeper waters than most other seahorse species.  Data such as the depth and habitat seahorses are observed at help us understand how these fish interact with their environment, and inform our efforts to protect such species through protected area design and sustainable fishing practices. This is important because the hedgehog seahorse tends to get caught as bycatch in trawls, and as a result is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Thanks to Media-Aspidea for contributing this information. We hope that this information reported by iSeahorse users can help us to get the hedgehog seahorse and other species away from the IUCN Red List's threatened categories and into a situation where its population is stable and healthy.

Dear iSeahorse friends,

Our April observation of the month comes from northeastern Bali, Indonesia. iSeahorse user brucesub was able to capture this amazing photograph of a spiny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix) at about 10 metres deep.

H. histrix is known to inhabit coral and seagrasses throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Despite its large natural range, the species is often incidentally caught as bycatch in trawlers. This, in combination with increasing pressures on coral and seagrass habitats globally, is sufficient to warrant a listing of 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Thanks to brucesub for posting!

- The iSeahorse Team