Wild Wednesday – Seahorse
Did you know that seahorses live right off the Sussex coast? Sightings have been recorded in areas near Brighton and within Chichester Harbour, making our local waters one of the UK's quiet strongholds for these elusive marine creatures.
The UK is home to two species of seahorse:
Short snouted seahorse (Hippocampus hippocampus)
Long snouted (or Spiny) seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus)
As their names suggest, the key distinguishing feature is the length of their snouts. Both species grow to around 15 centimetres, roughly half the size of a standard ruler.
The long snouted seahorse also has elongated spines along the neck that resemble a delicate “mane,” while the short snouted species lacks this feature.
Neither species is a strong swimmer - they move slowly using a small dorsal fin, relying heavily on camouflage to avoid predatory fish. Both can change colour to match their surroundings, blending beautifully into seagrass, seaweed, or kelp.
Seahorses prefer shallow, sheltered waters such as seagrass beds, estuaries, and rocky reefs where they can hide and use their flexible, 'grasping' tails to cling onto plants. Populations have even been recorded in the Thames, highlighting how adaptable these species can be.
Here in Sussex, seagrass meadows and kelp forests are vital habitats. Sadly, Sussex kelp beds declined by 96% since the 1980s, though restoration projects like the Sussex Kelp Project are helping these important ecosystems recover.
One of the most remarkable things about seahorses is their approach to parenthood. Females transfer eggs into the male's brood pouch, where he fertilises them and carries them until they hatch. The male then gives birth to the young - known as 'fry' making seahorses the only animals with a true reversed pregnancy.
In Sussex, short-snouted males can give birth to as many as 200 fry at a time - tiny replicas of the adults.
Conservation in West Sussex
Both UK species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, meaning it's illegal to handle, disturb, or remove them. Activities such as diving and underwater photography may require a specific wildlife licence.
Local threats include:
- loss of seagrass and kelp habitats
- pollution and sediment runoff from land
- disturbance from coastal activity
- climate change impacts on water temperature and food sources
If you're lucky enough to spot a seahorse, do not touch or chase it and avoid crowding or staying too long.
You can also support conservation efforts by reporting sightings to The Seahorse Trust to help researchers monitor populations
Read more here:
Long-snouted seahorse | The Wildlife Trusts
Short-snouted seahorse | The Wildlife Trusts