pacific seahorse
Hippocampus ingens
Seahorse threatened worldwide, reaching 30 cm and living on shallow reefs of the eastern Pacific. It is not a fishing fish: if it appears on the line, release it carefully.
Also called: cavalo-marinho-do-pacífico, caballito de mar, Pacific seahorse
- maximum
- 30 cm
- depth
- 3–18 m
who is the pacific seahorse
The family Syngnathidae brings together seahorses and pipefish, with a body covered in plates and a tube-shaped snout. This species reaches 30 cm and lives on reefs in the eastern Pacific, from San Diego, California, to Peru, including the Galápagos. It usually stays between 3 and 18 m, but goes down to 60 m, coiled around branches of gorgonians and black corals, where it camouflages itself. It is nocturnal. It has no interest for sport fishing: it is sold for aquariums and appears in commercial fishing, and the species is threatened.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the pacific seahorse.
fun facts
- The male carries the eggs in a pouch under the tail, and gestation lasts 14 to 15 days, depending on the temperature.
- It has already been found in the stomachs of tunas, which shows that it is food for large predators.
identification
Rigid body, covered in plates, with the head bent at an angle to the trunk and a tube-shaped snout. The tail curls and is used to hold onto branches. Its color matches the surroundings, and the seahorse usually stays camouflaged among gorgonians and black corals. Pipefish, of the same family, have long, straight bodies, while the seahorse is curved and stays upright.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from San Diego, California, to Peru, including the Galápagos. In Latin America, it ranges from Mexico to Peru, on shallow reefs. There are no records on the Brazilian coast.
Habitat: Reefs, among branches of gorgonians and black corals, generally from 3 to 18 m and down to 60 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. Nocturnal species, camouflaged among the branches of gorgonians and black corals.
rules for the pacific seahorse
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No danger to anglers. As it is a threatened species, if it appears on the line, release it carefully and without pulling on the tail.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00447, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Hippocampus ingens (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hippocampus ingensNames by country and language.