Taxonomic notes: If the type locality is in error this might be a synonym of the very similar H. zosterae.

H. lichtensteinii is only known from type specimens collected from the Red Sea. Exact localities are not stated (Lourie et al. 1999).

Known only from the type specimens.

Habitat preferences are currently unknown. The species may be particularly susceptible to decline. All seahorse species have vital parental care and many species studied to date have high site fidelity (Perante et al. 2002, Vincent et al. in review), highly structured social behaviour (Vincent and Sadler 1995), and relatively sparse distributions (Lourie et al. 1999). The importance of life history parameters in determining response to exploitation has been demonstrated for a number of species (Jennings et al. 1998).

Section empty

Major threats to the species are currently unknown.

Further research is required on this species. It is listed on CITES Appendix II.

• 4.3 Awareness & communications

This species is known only from the type specimens (Lourie et al. 1999). Appropriate data on biology, ecology, habitat, abundance and distribution are not available. Further research is needed in order to evaluate species status.

• Jennings, S., Reynolds, J.D. and Mills, S.C. 1998. Life history correlates of responses to fisheries exploitation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 265:333-339.
• Lourie, S.A., Vincent, A.C.J. and Hall, H.J. 1999. Seahorses: an identification guide to the world's species and their conservation. Project Seahorse, London, U.K.
• Perante, N.C., Pajaro, M.G., Meeuwig, J.J. and Vincent, A.C.J. 2002. Biology of a seahorse species Hippocampus comes in the central Philippines. Accepted by Journal of Fish Biology. 2001.
• Vincent, A.C.J. and Sadler, L.M. 1995. Faithful pair bonds in wild seahorses, Hippocampus whitei. Animal Behaviour 50: 1557-1569.
• Vincent, A.C.J., Evans, K.L., and Marsden, A.D. 2005. Home range behaviour of the monogamous Australian seahorse, Hippocampus whitei. Environmental Biology of Fishes 72: 1–12.