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Stories

Seahorse found on shore

By Tessa

This beautiful specimen was found washed up on Waikouaiti beach on Sunday 23rd August 2015.  It was found by Fleur de Clifford (7 years) and her mum wants to find out more about the seahorse, and how to preserve it.

It is a pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis).  This is the only species of seahorse found in New Zealand (it is also found in southern Australia and Tasmania).  It is an adult female - you can tell because her belly looks bony all over.  In the seahorse family, it is the male seahorses that carry the eggs and give birth.  The lower half of the belly of a male seahorse is quite soft as this is where he carries the babies (around 300 of them!) until they are ready to be released.

Not many people are lucky enough to find a seahorse on the beach.  If you look at the "Wierd and Wonderful" blogs you will see that one was found on the shore in Macandrew Bay recently, but I have never found one in all the years I have been beachcombing!

To preserve the seahorse you can place it in a well-ventilated dry spot and dry it out (it takes several months but will then last for years).

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