Reef Secrets
Your fascination will grow as you discover the variety of species in our Reef Secrets Gallery. Filled with a variety of seahorse and pipehorse species – from pot-bellied to dwarf – you’ll want to get up close to these amazing habitats. Learn how seahorses reproduce, eat and survive, and how these animals have inspired millions of years of folklore and fairytales.
Animal Spotlight: Pot-Bellied Seahorse
Found in the waters off Southeast Australia, the pot-bellied seahorse is the largest seahorse species! This large seahorse can be identified by its large brooding pouch, which is larger on males than females. Males carry the female’s eggs in the brooding pouch until they hatch in about four weeks. During mating season, males will puff out their brooding pouches to a larger size to attract a potential mate. Seahorses have no true stomach; they suck small shrimp into their mouths using their straw-like mouths and quickly digest food through their bodies.
Fun Fact: Due to the nature of their digestion, the Aquarium feeds seahorses three times a day, the most of any animal at the Aquarium!
Habitat
Rocky reefs and seagrass beds in the southwest Pacific around Australia and New Zealand
Diet
Small crustaceans and zooplankton
Predators
Stingrays and fish
Conservation Status
Not evaluated
Phylum
Chordate