Pacific Seahorse
Rare photographs of the elusive Pacific seahorse have been taken for the first time in the United Sates. The species, Hippocampus ingens, is the only seahorse found on the pacific coast. It has previously only been photographed underwater in Mexico and Peru.
Very few people know that seahorses can be found off the Pacific coast of the United States. Underwater photographer Scott Gietler, editor of the Underwater Photography Guide, photographed two Pacific seahorses over the course of 5 scuba diving trips to San Diego. One of the seahorses was a male giving birth, ejecting tiny seahorses from his stomach.
The seahorses photographed were quite large, almost 12 inches in length. The Pacific seahorse is one of largest species in the world, reaching 30cm in length, and is the only seahorse found in the eastern Pacific ocean.
The seahorses were found in thick algae where they can be camouflaged. Dr. Kimo Morris, Marine Biology professor at Mount San Antonio college, is one of the few scientists to scuba dive with the Pacific seahorse in California. Morris said the three-dimensional structure provided by eelgrass and algae acts as a biological facilitator for many organisms, including the seahorse. “This is also why artificial reefs work,” Morris said. “Fish enjoy the protection of a 3-D environment. The presence of the seahorse can be viewed as an anecdotal indicator of the recovery of eelgrass habitat. The fact that we are finding them there is a great sign, especially given the fact that they are hard to find.”
More information on the Pacific seahorse, including underwater photos can be found at http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
