Thorny Seahorse

The thorny seahorse is one of the more commonly encountered seahorse species in Komodo National Park, named for the prominent spiny projections that cover its body and provide both camouflage and physical defence. Reaching about 15 centimetres in height, this small fish anchors itself to gorgonian fans, sponges, soft corals, and other reef structures using its prehensile tail, swaying gently with the surge to mimic plant material. Thorny seahorses come in a range of colours including yellow, brown, green, and orange, typically matching their chosen holdfast. Like all seahorses, it is the male that becomes pregnant — the female deposits eggs into the male's specialised brood pouch, where he fertilises and incubates them until giving birth to fully formed miniature seahorses. In Komodo, thorny seahorses are found at macro-rich dive sites where experienced guides know exactly which structures to check. They are one of the more accessible seahorse species, being larger and slightly easier to spot than the tiny pygmy seahorses, though still requiring a trained eye to locate.