Species Overview

Tiger tail Seahorse (H. comes)
Hippocampus comes

Essential Facts

Indonesia; Malaysia; Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; Viet Nam
Typically found at <10 m depth; maximum reported depth 20 m; coral reef, sponge gardens, kelp, floating Sargassum; thought to prefer Sargassum as juveniles, moving to corals and sponges when older
18.7 cm
The species is targeted by fishers supplying a substantial trade in seahorses for medicinal and aquarium uses; it is also incidentally caught (bycatch) in other fisheries and is affected by habitat degradation. Fishers in the central Philippines estimate that populations declined by up to 70 percent over the 10 years prior to 1995.
Vulnerable (VU)
H.comes is traded dried for traditional medicine and curios; and live for aquarium or hobbyist use.

Tiger tail Seahorse (H. comes)