SEA LIFE Malaysia’s Creature Feature - Pot Belly Seahorse

Check out some fun facts about each of our special marine friends that live in SEA LIFE Malaysia. This week we would like to introduce you to Pot Belly Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis)!

Hey friends! I am a Pot Belly Seahorse. I have a big belly, and I am the largest seahorse species in the world.

Want to get to know me? Here are 5 fun facts about me!

1. I have big belly, but not necessarily pregnant

As I mature to adulthood, I grow a pot belly which can make me look as if I’m pregnant. I am among one of the largest seahorse species, with a length up to 14 inches.

 

2. I am the ocean’s super dad

With seahorses like me, it is the male who becomes pregnant. The female seahorse will deposit eggs in the pouch of the males, who then fertilise and incubate the eggs for about a month before hatching out.

 

3. I am a fish, not a horse

Although I am called a seahorse, I am actually a fish. I breathe through my gills and have a swim bladder. However, although I am a fish, I do not possess scales on my body.

 

4. I have adaptations that allow me to thrive in the ocean

Like a chameleon, my eyes can move independently, and my skin can change colour to camouflage myself, allowing me to detect and hide from predators. I also have a prehensile tail that I can use to hold onto seagrass and coral, so I will not be swept away by the current.

 

5. I have no teeth and no stomach

Although I lack teeth and a stomach, I am still able to eat by creating a vacuum that draws prey into my mouth, where they are swallowed whole and passed rapidly through the digestive system.

Check me out at the Seahorses zone in SEA LIFE @ LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort.