Flat-Faced Seahorse - Hippocampus trimaculatus

Saw this Flat-Faced Seahorse - Hippocampus trimaculatus during a Black Water dive, in drifting water, this Seahorse was feeding among planktons which were attracted by the lights we set-up.

This species are known to be found drifting in the water column.

The Flat-Faced Seahorse is affected by habitat loss; however, it is listed only as vulnerable, not endangered. Its vulnerability is due to a few factors. One large factor is that Flat-Faced Seahorses make up some of the millions of seahorses traded internationally each year, and they are frequently bycatch. Seahorses are frequently harvested and used in traditional Chinese medicine; they are commonly dried and sold as souvenirs in the United States; and they are sold as pets throughout the world. These practices have led the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (abbreviated CITES) to suggest restrictions on the seahorse trade. Though these restrictions are not binding, traders must abide by them to be certified as sustainable. The most relevant restriction is that no seahorse under 10 cm can be harvested