Common Seahorse vs small tortoiseshell

Hippocampus kuda compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Common Seahorse is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Seahorse	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fish)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Perciformes (Perch-like Fish)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Pomacentridae (Clownfish & Damselfish)	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Amphiprion (Clownfish)	Aglais
Species	Hippocampus kuda	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Seahorse and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Seahorse

VU — Vulnerable

Trend: Decreasing ↓

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Seahorse

The common seahorse is found in tropical and temperate waters. Males carry and deliver the babies.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.