Pacific Seahorses Introduced to Southern California Gallery
For the first time in many years, Aquarium guests can now see one of the largest seahorses in the world.
Pacific seahorses, gripping onto the seagrass using their prehensile tail, wait patiently for food to drift by. Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
December 18, 2025
Pacific seahorses (Hippocampus ingens) have been introduced to the Aquarium’s SoCal Spotlight exhibit, located in the Southern California Gallery. This species of seahorse can grow to almost twelve inches tall—making it one of the largest seahorses in the world. Feeding on small crustaceans and other plankton, these nocturnal seahorses, much like other seahorse species, are at constant risk from overfishing and habitat destruction. Due to these threats, the Pacific seahorse has a vulnerable conservation status.
Typically found from San Diego to Peru, Pacific seahorses have been spotted further north when ocean conditions are warmer. During times when trade winds weaken creating the conditions of El Niño, warm water is pushed to the West Coast of the Americas. Sometimes fish will swim following the warm water current, leading to unique sightings of certain species such as the Pacific seahorse close to areas like Long Beach.
You can learn more about El Niño and La Niña and their current conditions to understand the global impact by visiting the Aquarium’s Ocean Science Center.
