A detailed identification guide to the world's seahorses and background information on their biology, trade and conservation.

Seahorses are extraordinary creatures. They swim upright and spend days in dancing courtship. They are small, shy and have heads shaped like miniature ponies. And the male carries the female’s eggs in his pouch and ‘births’ the young. Found worldwide, they are sensitive to environmental disruption and are an obvious flagship group for conservation. Seahorses unveils every species, including the seadragons and pipefish that share the Syngnathidae family. Each of the 47 entries incorporates a photograph and description, so you can admire their beauty as you learn about their ecological importance.

An accessible, authoritative look at seahorses, their evolution, biology, habitat, and behavior. Absolutely captivating creatures, seahorses seem like a product of myth and imagination rather than of nature. They are small, elusive, and are named for their heads, which are shaped like miniature ponies with tiny snouts. They swim slowly upright by rapidly fanning their delicate dorsal fin, coil their tails to anchor themselves in a drift, and spend days in a dancing courtship. Afterward, it is the male who carries the female’s eggs in his pouch and hatches the young. Seahorses are found worldwide, and they are highly sensitive to environmental destruction and disturbance, making them the flagship species for shallow-water habitat conservation. They are as ecologically important as they are beautiful. Seahorses celebrates the remarkable variety of seahorse species as well as their exquisiteness. Fifty-seven species, including seadragons and pipefish, are presented in lush, life-size photographs alongside descriptive drawings, and each entry includes detailed and up-to-date information on natural history and conservation. Sara Lourie, a foremost expert on seahorse taxonomy, presents captivating stories of species that range from less than an inch to over a foot in height, while highlighting recent discoveries and ecological concerns. Accessibly written, but comprehensive in scope, this book will be a stunning and invaluable reference on seahorse evolution, biology, habitat, and behavior. Masters of camouflage and rarely seen, seahorses continue to be a fascinating subject of active research. This visually rich and informative book is certain to become the authoritative guide to these charming and unusual wonders of the sea, beloved at aquariums the world over. Praise for Seahorses “This guide covers every one of the 42 known species of seahorses, plus 15 additional relatives, including the seadragon. In addition to beautiful color photographs of all but the rarest species, the descriptions nicely summarize what is known about the distribution, reproduction, and identifying characters of each. The really striking feature, however, is an elegantly simple one: inclusion of a life-sized shadow/silhouette of each species. It is rather astounding to see that some of the pygmy seahorses are literally no larger than the average housefly! . . . Highly recommended.” —Choice

Seahorses are instantly recognisable and have been a part of our culture for millennia, yet we still know very little about these enigmatic creatures. Steve Trewhella and Julie Hatcher have spent hundreds of hours in British waters observing native seahorses, witnessing at first hand how they behave in the wild, and how they interact with the other plants and animals in their underwater realm. With stunning photography, In the Company of Seahorses paints a rich picture of a mysterious world amongst swaying seagrass and colourful seaweeds. The accompanying text is packed with personal anecdotes describing the authors’ journey of discovery, illustrating for the first time the secretive lives of these elusive animals in British waters. By sharing one couple’s passion for an entrancing ocean icon, this book aims to inspire, inform and create a better understanding of the seahorse and its often vulnerable habitats around the British coastline.