HomeBiodiversity ProjectsCambodian Seahorses - Endangered Wildlife OÜ

The Seahorses Conservation Project at Marine Conservation Cambodia is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the seahorse population in the Kep Archipelago. The team’s research into the seahorses’ distribution, density, diversity and life cycle has allowed them to develop a management scheme that can support the recovery of the population and the protection of the entire ecosystem. The Project’s main seahorse species include the common, hedgehog, three-spot and Japanese seahorses.

While seahorses can vary in shapes and sizes, they are all elongated, upright fish with body armour. They inhabit coastal regions, where they feed on small invertebrates. As they are slow swimmers and have small home ranges, the populations are particularly vulnerable to habitat disturbances and overfishing.

The seahorse is the only animal species on Earth where the male bears the young and, in calm conditions, it can catch 90% of its intended prey, making it a more efficient hunter than lions (25%) and sharks (60%).

Key threats include: residential and commercial development; agriculture and aquaculture; biological resource use; pollution; natural system modifications; IUU and destructive fishing; and habitat destruction