Seahorses face threats from the aquarium trade, traditional medicine demand, and habitat loss. Their pair-bonding behavior and site fidelity create specific welfare considerations.
Seahorse welfare involves both individual-level considerations and population-level conservation concerns. The pair-bonding behavior of seahorses is one of the most striking in the animal kingdom — paired seahorses greet each other daily with synchronized dances and show apparent behavioral changes when separated. The welfare implications of separating bonded pairs during capture, transport, and sale are real, though poorly studied. In aquaria, site fidelity means that seahorses in large, stimulating tanks will nevertheless restrict their activity to small preferred areas — an insight that should inform exhibit design. The traditional medicine demand for dried seahorses is particularly difficult to address because it involves millions of animals traded in a market that is largely unregulated and culturally embedded.