Big Belly Seahorse - Manaia

Seahorses belong to the syngnathidae family, which includes pipefish and seadragons. The big-bellied seahorse is the only seahorse species around New Zealand and one of the world’s largest, reaching up to 35 cm. Found in algae, seagrass, and reefs, they feed on small crustaceans like shrimp and copepods. Males are super-dads, carrying 300–700 young in a pouch and raising up to four broods each summer.