Lined Seahorse Habitat
The Lined Seahorse lives in the coastal marine biome in tropical and temperate waters. Lined Seahorse are present along the eastern Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia, Canada down to the Caribbean through Mexico to Venezuela, South America. Their habitat is marine vegetation including algal and coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses and soft ocean bottom areas around sponges and oyster beds to a depth of 73 meters. Depending on the season, they can be found in shallow or deep waters in estuaries, tidal flats, salt marches and ocean or bay shallows.
Lined Seahorse are members of the fourth trophic level.Their niche is an ambush predator feeding on small crustaceans including shrimp, mollusks and zooplankton. So below them are crustaceans on the 3rd trophic level, below the crustaceans are the zooplankton on the 2nd trophic level and at the bottom of the food chain are the phytoplankton. Above the Lined Seahorse on the 5th trophic level are seals and other animals that consume fish.
Like all living things, Lined Seahorse have interspecific interactions as well as intra- specific interactions. One example of an interspecific interaction is that Lined Seahorse are preyed on by larger fish such as dolphin fish, tuna, turtles, sharks, and other larger fish. One example of an intra-specific interaction is that most Lined Seahorse mate with one partner, for life and engage in unusual courtship rituals including daily visits, dancing,and clicking between males and females.
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