Common seahorse  (Hippocampus kuda)

This species is sold locally and internationally for use in traditional medicines, in the aquarium trade and as curios (1). It is one of the most valuable seahorses in traditional Chinese medicine and is very popular as an aquarium species. In 2001, the global consumption of seahorses was estimated at 25 million seahorses (over 70 metric tonnes) (3). Furthermore, habitat degradation and pollution in some areas reduces the available habitat for the species, and it is also often accidentally caught as by-catch in the shrimp-trawling industry (1).

The most pressing requirement to assist in the conservation of this species is the need for further research. In order to effectively conserve a species, its biology, ecology, range and abundance must be fully understood and the threats facing it must be known (6). In November 2002 all seahorses were listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); this means that the massive trade in seahorses must be regulated to ensure that the survival of wild populations is not threatened. However, Indonesia, Japan, Norway and South Korea have opted out of the listing for seahorses (3). The conservation organisation Project Seahorse was set up in 1994 to in response to the massive pressures facing all seahorses around the world (5).