Cape seahorse
NOT ON EXHIBIT
Natural History
The cape seahorse has the smallest known range of any seahorse—you'll find them in only a few bays and estuaries at the southern tip of South Africa. There, they live tucked away among swaying underwater plants.In Asia and elsewhere, dried seahorses have been used as medicine for thousands of years. But as the number of people living on our planet increases, the demand for seahorses grows—and the number of seahorses shrinks. Each year, tons of Pacific seahorses are caught, dried and shipped to Asia.
Conservation
Their limited range puts cape seahorses at great risk. Coastal development is changing or destroying the estuaries these animals live in. As their habitat shrinks, their numbers dwindle. And as a result, cape seahorses may soon be listed as endangered.
Cool Facts
Seahorses are creatures of salty ocean waters. But cape seahorses can live in water that ranges from almost purely fresh to water that’s twice as salty as normal seawater.