Familiarity with the size of the blades of seagrass compared to the other seahorses featured on this site illustrates the relatively tiny stature of this dwarf seahorse. Though this appears to be a young one, these seahorses only reach an adult length of about 2.5 cm (one inch).  Their life expectancy is shorter than the larger breeds, at about 1-2 years. Their snout is also shorter in comparison to its head length, compared to most other species. Update May 2012: Smallest seahorse in US waters might get endangered protection Identification: Hippocampus zosterae     dwarf seahorse # 2 [74K] dwarf seahorse #3 [103K] dwarf seahorse #4  [117K]           seahorse index page Gallery IV