An even less known fact is that they are serial monogamists, and every morning, seahorse couples engage in a ritualistic dance to reinforce their bond. Like pipefish and seadragons, male seahorses too give birth to their young.
Often called “chameleons of the sea” because of their ability to change their colours and patterns, they even grow filaments so they can blend in better with their environment.
FMT recently caught up with Adam Lim, 36, chairperson of Save Our Seahorses Malaysia (SOS), an NGO dedicated to seahorse conservation, the brainchild of the late Choo Chee Kuang.
“We are blessed because we have 12 out of the 46 species of seahorses right here in our waters,” he said, adding that regrettably, seven are listed as “vulnerable” under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which is an inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
“Habitat destruction and trawl nets are the main threats to seahorses, especially since most of the seahorses throughout Asia are palm-sized,” said the marine biologist, who studied the sound production of Syngnathidae fishes for his PhD.
“On top of that, seahorses are particularly poor swimmers.”
On a positive note, pygmy seahorses, which are about the size of one’s pinkie, do not get caught in fishing nets. The smallest seahorse measures just about 2cm in length.
“There’s a lack of data on pygmy seahorses as besides being tiny and well-camouflaged, they’re usually found 20-30 metres underwater,” Lim said, adding that even seasoned divers hardly ever encounter them.
From 2005-2015, SOS ran a volunteer programme comprising children and corporations at Johor’s Pulai River Estuary to help monitor the seahorse population there.
“There’s a patch of seagrass that is unique, and once a month, during low tide, people are able to wade through the seawater and spot seahorses. It’s an extraordinary area, as you’d normally have to go scuba diving to see them.”
The programme was however discontinued for logistical and safety reasons although many are now calling for its revival. “At the end of the day, besides creating awareness, it’s important to get people involved as citizen scientists, especially children,” Lim said.
Use of seahorses in traditional medicine
In early 2020, SOS launched “Trace Our Seahorses”, a programme to study why seahorses were being harvested for use in Peninsular Malaysia.
He said that contrary to popular belief, seahorses are not only used in traditional Chinese medicine or TCM but in all other traditional medicine markets as well.
Lim said that based on interviews with Chinese, Malay and Indian traditional medicine practitioners, as well as those living in fishing communities, it was learned that only 6% of Malaysians consume or believe that seahorses hold any kind of health benefit.
“That’s rather insignificant compared to the global demand for seahorses, which is dominated by East Asian countries,” he said, explaining that Malaysia mainly functioned as a hub for illegal trade.
According to the most recent data, besides being used in Malay traditional medicine, seahorses are also considered a good luck charm to ward off evil. “They’re commonly hung at the entrance of homes and rooms, as well as on baby cradles, in addition to being kept in wallets, especially among those living in Johor and Kedah.”
Indians meanwhile, grind seahorses to a powder to treat eczema, he said.
Although SOS’s research projects were initially conducted only in Johor, it has since expanded to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia, with plans of going into Sabah and Sarawak as well.
Lim added that it was important to understand the cultural uses of seahorses so that the NGO could work with the relevant stakeholders on how to safeguard this marine life.
Moving forward, Lim hopes to see more collaboration among the different NGOs in Malaysia be it in terms of research, outreach or even in branding and marketing.
He encouraged those interested in learning more about seahorses to follow SOS on social media as well as participate in its events and talks. “Come along and ask questions; there’ll also be calls for volunteers from time to time.”
At present, seahorses are only protected in the state of Sarawak although SOS is pushing for wider protection across the nation.
“At the end of the day, everyone has something to gain, not just the animals; saving the seahorses means saving the seas.”
Follow Save Our Seahorses Malaysia on Facebook and Instagram.
You can also purchase Adam Lim’s children’s book “A Seahorse Story” through Save Our Seahorses Malaysia’s Facebook page. Proceeds will be channelled to Save Our Seahorses Malaysia.