Big Belly Seahorse you are beautiful!
The Big Bellied Seahorse can be found around Australia and New Zealand in seaweeds and rocky outcrops. They are believed to be one of the biggest species of seahorses however this is at their detriment a they are not very strong swimmers so will mostly likely be found clinging to some sort of solid surface.
They are ambush predators so you might often see them hiding amongst the rocks and seagrass until they sense food. They can expand their snouts if the food is bigger than their mouth, but they cannot chew the food. Seahorses get fed many times throughout the day. This is because they don’t actually have a stomach which means the food they eat goes very quickly through their system.
One of the most unique things about our seahorses is they are the only animal in the world to experience true male pregnancy The breeding pair will put their bellies together and the female will transfer eggs to the male. The soon to be father then looks after the developing young for about three weeks. He then gives birth by contracting his pouch. They can give birth to hundreds of live young, each one independent from birth.
Type
Fish: Not your average fish
What do they eat?
crustaceans and small fish
Size
Max 28cm
Water Type
Salt Water
Where are we?
Australia and New Zealand
