Identification
One of the most iconic marine animals: an upright-swimming fish of 10 to 15 cm with a horse-like head and prehensile tail. The snout is short. Body covered in bony plates. Color variable: brown, grey, yellow, or black.
Ecology
Lives in shallow coastal waters with seagrass or seaweed, anchoring itself with its tail. The male becomes pregnant: the female deposits eggs in the male's brood pouch.
In the Netherlands
Rare but present in the Eastern Scheldt and Grevelingen. Strictly protected under the Habitats Directive.
