The IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish & Seadragon Specialist Group (SPS SG) is dedicated to the conservation of seahorses, pipefishes, pipehorses and seadragons— as well as related species such as trumpetfishes, cornetfishes, and shrimpfishes
About
As the IUCN global authority on these animals — which are found all over the world, many of them threatened — the SPS SG works with scientists, conservationists, governments and other groups to ensure that wild populations are healthy and well-managed.
Resources
On this site you’ll find information on the work of our Specialist Group, including species profiles, conservation assessments, conservation actions to protect threatened species, and other valuable resources such as bibliographies and information about how you can get involved.
IUCN Red List Status of the Syngnathiformes
| Family | Critically Endangered (CR) | Endangered (EN) | Vulnerable (VU) | Near Threatened (NT) | Least Concern (LC) | Data Deficient (DD) |
| Aulostomidae (Trumpetfish) | 3 | |||||
| Centriscidae (Snipefish, Shrimpfish, Razorfish,Bellowfish) | 8 | 3 | ||||
| Fistulariidae (Cornetfish) | 4 | |||||
| Solenstomidae (Ghost pipefish) | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Syngnathidae (Seahorses, Pipefishes, Pipehorses, Seadragons) | 1 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 165 | 93 |
IUCN Red List Status of the Family Syngnathidae
| Critically Endangered (CR) | Endangered (EN) | Vulnerable (VU) | Near Threatened (NT) | Least Concern (LC) | Data Deficient (DD) | |
| Seahorses* | 2 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 17 | |
| Pipefishes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 148 | 69 |
| Pipehorses | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Seadragons | 2 | 1 |
*Note: Currently, there are 46 recognised species of seahorse- four newly described species (H. haema, H. japapigu, H. nalu and H. waleananus) have not yet been evaluated on the IUCN Red List.
Photo credits: Banner image of Hedgehog seahorse (Hippocampus spinosissimus) by Luc Eeckhaut / Guylian Seahorses of the World. Other images: Long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) and rainbow wrasse (Coris julis), Croatia, Plavnik. Photo by Lars Reichenbach / Guylian Seahorses of the World. Network pipefish (Corythoichthys flavofasciatus). Photo by Richard Smith / Ocean Realm Images