Longsnout seahorse
(Hippocampus reidi)

This small fish is smoother than some of its seahorse counterparts, but still displays a variety of colors and the ability to change color quickly for camouflage. It is a poor swimmer that prefers to ambush small prey from its secure hiding spot among seagrass, mangroves, or gorgonian coral, quickly sucking them into its toothless snout. They mate for life, have complicated courtship and bonding rituals, and the male carries the embryos to term in his brood pouch. These longsnout seahorses grow to almost 7 inches long and live one to four years. They have few predators because of their camouflage and bony-plated body, but are collected by humans for the aquarium trade or folk medicine.