17/E – Long-snouted branched seahorse - Hippocampus ramulosus

The hippocampus belongs to the group of sygnathids, which also includes the so-called needle fish. This curious fish visits sandy environments more often than is thought; any support is grabbed by its prehensile tail, be it a solitary worm or alga. In its characteristic flat shape and with its body covered in bone shields, two species of sea horses are present in our seas. The head of Hippocampus ramulosus has numerous thread-like appendixes, is no longer than 18 cm, and its color ranges from yellow to reddish-brown. The male provides parental care, by carrying the eggs until they hatch in a pocket incubator on the lower side of its trunk.