| General Facts About Seahorses Seahorses are fish from the family Syngnathidae. They have a horse-like head and prehensile tail, and gills which enable them to breath in the water. Seahorses are popularly known for male pregnancy. The male has a brood pouch below its abdomen, which serves to protect and nourish his babies. In 2008, three new pygmy seahorses were named, adding to 37 species of seahorses wordlwide. Most seahorse species live in mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reef.
The Plight of The Spotted Seahorse
 The spotted seahorse, Hippocampus Kuda, was first reported, and named by a France biologist, Pieter Bleeker in year 1852 in Singapore. The name kuda practically derives from the Malay name for "horse". In Malaysia, Hippocampus kuda is the only species found primarily in estuaries, and especially in the Pulai River Estuary which has large tracts of seagrass beds.
Both the seagrass and seahorse are rapidly lost to development. The sheltered, strategic location of the Pulai River Estuary are heaven for the seahorse and seagrass. Unfortunately it also serves the purpose of an international port. This small, less than a palm-size fish has reduced in numbers by over 80% within a decade. Further habitat loss will very likely drives them into local extinction. Threats to the Spotted Seahorse - In the last decade, dredging and reclaimation for the construction of the Second Link causeway and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas have greatly reduced the size of the seagrass beds.
- The expansion project of Port of Tanjung Pelepas in 2003 have reclaimed the coastal mangroves and a seagrass bed of a size of at least three football fields.
- Construction of warehouses, industries and waterfront along the shoreline will demolish the coastal mangroves, causing sedimentation and siltation which could smother mudflats and seagrass bed.
- Water quality degradation from Industrial waste and sewage discharge. The resulting eutrophication could reduce seagrass biomass and threatens its communities.
- Dredging to deepen the navigation channel increases sediment resuspension and turbidity . Seagrasses unable to photosynthesize due to low light levels.
- Erosion to mudflats and seagrass bed caused by waves generated by cargo vessels.
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Oil spill, leakage and fuel discharged from engines : Hydrocarbon build-up in food chain, seafood unsafe for consumption. - Pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals discharged into the river from nearby agricultural activities also threaten the seahorse's survival, though it is not known to what extent.
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Finally, the constructions of a powerplant at Tanjung Bin and a proposed 2,255 acres petrochemical station at the river mouth will be among the last things the seahorses could hope for. Plight of the Pygmy Seahorse In Malaysia, Hippocampus bargibanti and H. denise were first reported by divers off Semporna waters in Sabah. Both species were found associated with gorgonian seafan as host. The capability of pygmy seahorses to mimick their seafan host makes them the master of camouflage. The uniqueness of the appearance has garnered vast attention from divers and underwater photographers.  
The discovery of pygmy seahorses by divers could also have changed their fate. These adorable and alien-looking creatures have rapidly become one of the “must-see” creatures among recreational divers. In Semporna, Sabah, some popular dive sites that host pygmy seahorses are visited by hundreds of divers every day, and night. Despite the difficulties to spot pygmy seahorses and the limited time divers could spend in deep waters, pygmy seahorses continued to spur the already lucrative diving industry. However, increasing tourism activities have also prompted some irresponsible recreational diving practices, which subject pygmy seahorses to the potential threats such as:
• Individuals transferred to shallower waters so that beginner divers can see them.
• Some dive operators purportedly moved pygmy seahorses to secretive locations to cater for their own divers.
• Photographers use high-intensity flashlights when taking pictures.
• Photographers disturbed pygmy seahorses physically to get them into ideal positions and angles for snapshots
These practices could potentially harm pygmy seahorse populations. They could be deprived of their access to mate and food resources when they are transferred to an alien environment, while intensive divers’ visits, photography and physical harassment could alter their behaviours, causing stress, injuries and mortalities | 
