Identification
Permissions for Use
© Jeffrey N. Jeffords. Please remember that all photographs by Jeffrey N. Jeffords appearing on the Animal Diversity Web are copyrighted, and may not be used in any form, even on the Internet, without a licensing agreement. Exception: teachers and educators using the material in a classroom setting, students using this material for school assignments; or anyone for personal, non-commmercial use, such as screen savers. Unauthorized usage is a violation of the Federal Copyright Law. E-mail me for permission to use at this address: 
seaslugs@hotmail.com
Location
aquarium specimen, not recorded
This male pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) seems to have a coloration scheme like a giraffe. Unlike many other seahorses, potbellies seem to have smooth, waxy skin, without the deep pores or rough texture characteristic of some species. Many casual observers seeing a group of potbellies think they must be all be pregnant males. The bloated appearance is normal for both the male and female, though mature males have a prominent, usually white brood pouch, and more dark blotches. A brood may number from an average of about 300 to as many as 700 offspring. Gestation varies with temperature, but averages around 28 days.
Jeffrey N. Jeffords (photographer, copyright holder, identification)
