vs Common Seahorse

Chrysosphaerella annulata compared with Hippocampus kuda

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Common Seahorse is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Common Seahorse
Kingdom	Chromista (โครมิสตา)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Ochrophyta (Ochrophyta)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Chrysophyceae (สาหร่ายสีทอง)	Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fish)
Order	Ochromonadales (Ochromonadales)	Perciformes (อันดับปลากะพง)
Family	Paraphysomonadaceae	Pomacentridae (Clownfish & Damselfish)
Genus	Chrysosphaerella	Amphiprion (Clownfish)
Species	Chrysosphaerella annulata	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.

Chrysosphaerella annulata is a colonial freshwater chrysophyte microalga in the genus Chrysosphaerella, class Chrysophyceae. Unlike unicellular loricate chrysophytes, Chrysosphaerella species form spherical or ellipsoidal free-floating colonies in which individual cells are embedded in a common gelatinous matrix. The individual cells bear long siliceous scales with distinctive ring-like or annular structures — referenced by the species epithet annulata — projecting outward from the colony surface, giving the colony a spiny appearance under microscopy. These siliceous scales are species-specific and their morphology, as revealed through electron microscopy, is the primary character for identifying Chrysosphaerella species. C. annulata has been recorded from Norwegian and Swedish freshwater environments, consistent with the Scandinavian emphasis in chrysophyte research and the high diversity of chrysophytes in boreal freshwater systems. Chrysosphaerella colonies are planktonic, inhabiting the limnetic zone of oligotrophic to mesotrophic lakes where they may form locally conspicuous populations during favorable conditions. The species uses chlorophylls a and c with fucoxanthin for photosynthesis, contributing to primary production. Chrysosphaerella scales can accumulate in lake sediments, providing a record of past community composition and environmental conditions. C. annulata has not been assessed under IUCN criteria and is classified as Not Evaluated. Its documentation contributes to understanding the diversity of colonial chrysophyte forms in northern European freshwater ecosystems.