This pair of pot-bellied seahorses seemed to compete for position in front of the camera lens. Females (front of picture) of this species tend to have more rounded cheek and eye spines, and males (rear) normally have large, dark spots along the sides of the head and upper trunk. The large, smooth brood pouch is another male characteristic, as is a shorter and thicker snout. Females also have an extended abdomen but they are more narrow and skeletal in appearance. 

Identification: Hippocampus abdominalis