Thorny sea horse, Hippocampus hystrix (hixtrix or histrix), have a long snout and spines, and are usually red, brown, yellow, or green, and may have gold speckling.
Estuary (common) sea horse, Hippocampus kuda, have smooth knobs on bony ridges, are usually brown to black though females may be yellow, have small dark spots, and a blunt crown, possibly with filaments.
Common sea horse, Hippocampus taeniopterus, are usually dusky brown to black though females may be yellow with dark spots, are covered with tiny black and white spots, and have a back-swept smooth crown.
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Last modified 23 April 2023