Jeffords, Jeffrey
Identification
Hippocampus abdominalis (large seahorse)
Location
aquarium specimen, not recorded
Caption
This male pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) seems to have a coloration scheme like a giraffe. Unlike many other seahorses, potbellies seem to have smooth, waxy skin, without the deep pores or rough texture characteristic of some species. Many casual observers seeing a group of potbellies think they must be all be pregnant males. The bloated appearance is normal for both the male and female, though mature males have a prominent, usually white brood pouch, and more dark blotches. A brood may number from an average of about 300 to as many as 700 offspring. Gestation varies with temperature, but averages around 28 days.
- Subject
- Live Animal
- Type
- Photo
- Anatomy
- Coloration/Patterning :: Disruptive Coloration (Spots/Stripes)
- Anatomy
- Male
- Life Stages And Gender
- Adult/Sexually Mature
- Anatomy
- Coloration/Patterning :: Cryptic
Contributors
Jeffrey N. Jeffords (photographer; copyright holder; identification)
Conditions of Use
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.