Interactions

Fellow Sea Creatures
Seahorses live in areas that are well populated with other organisms of the oceans. They can be found swimming along with tropical fish or hiding from their predators. Seahorses have quite a few predators ranging from crabs, penguins, as well as some larger fish such as tuna, sea-perch, cod, and trumpeter fish. Seahorses are even preyed upon by skates, rays, sharks. In order for seahorse to avoid their prey, they must use their camouflage and their speed. Seahorse aren't just prey either, they are also predators. Hippocampus kelloggis prey upon small crustaceans, so they would be consider secondary consumers, while they can also be primary consumers since they prey upon zooplankton. 

Humans
While seahorse have a chance to escape from their predators, they seem to be having difficulties escaping from humans since they are becoming endangered. Great seahorses are being caught in all different locations and are being sold as decorations, jewelry, pets for aquariums, and even being sold for medicinal uses. Hippocampus kelloggis are popular aquarium pets due to being so versatile and their ability to withstand stress better than other species of seahorse. In traditional Chinese medicines, seahorses are being used for much different reasons than what is found in the United States. There are about 90 different medicines in China that are being sold with seahorse as one of the primary ingredients. If you want to learn more about how  Hippocampus kelloggis are being used in medicine today, click on the link at the bottom of the page.

Continue to Medicinal Uses