vs Common Seahorse

Aphanocapsa sideroderma compared with Hippocampus kuda

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Common Seahorse is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Common Seahorse
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Cyanobacteriia	Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fish)
Order	Cyanobacteriales	Perciformes (Perch-like Fish)
Family	Microcystaceae	Pomacentridae (Clownfish & Damselfish)
Genus	Aphanocapsa	Amphiprion (Clownfish)
Species	Aphanocapsa sideroderma	Hippocampus kuda

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Seahorse

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Common Seahorse
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	5 years
Average Length	—	17 cm
Average Weight	—	10 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Common Seahorse

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Philippines. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Aphanocapsa sideroderma is a unicellular cyanobacterium forming colonial aggregates in gelatinous sheaths with iron-encrusted outer layers. It inhabits iron-rich freshwater environments including springs, streams, and wetlands. This photosynthetic bacterium produces energy through oxygenic photosynthesis and contributes to biofilm formation on iron-rich substrates.