Regional conservation assessments
Regional conservation assessments help to determine whether species are at risk of regional extirpation due to the threats they face. They make it easier to implement conservation actions in particular areas, which may not have been apparent at the global scale. The IUCN hosts regional workshops with experts from the area in order to complete these assessments.
Below you’ll find a list of regional conservation assessments for seahorses, pipefishes, seadragons, and their relatives.
Mediterranean
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829 English common names: Long-snouted seahorse, Spiny seahorse, Maned seahorse |
2016 |
|
| Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Short-snouted seahorse |
2016 |
|
| Macroramphosus scolopax (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Longspine snipefish, Common bellowsfish, Spine trumpetfish, Slender snipefish |
2016 |
|
| Minyichthys sentus Dawson, 1982 English common names: Roughsnout dwarf pipefish |
2015 |
|
| Nerophis maculatus Rafinesque, 1810 English common names: Spotted pipefish, Spotted worm pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Nerophis ophidion (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Straightnose pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus abaster (Risso, 1827) English common names: Black-striped pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus acus (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Longsnout pipefish, Common pipefish, Great pipefish, Greater pipefish, Narrowsnouted pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus phlegon (Risso, 1827) English common names: Pelagic spiny pipefish, Spiny pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus rostellatus (Nilsson, 1855) English common names: Nilsson's pipefish, Lesser pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus schmidti (Popov, 1928) English common names: Black Sea pelagic pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus taenionotus (Canestrini, 1871) English common names: Darkflank pipefish, Green pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus tenuirostris (Rathke, 1837) English common names: Narrow-snouted pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus typhle (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Broadnosed pipefish, Deep-snouted pipefish, High-snouted pipefish, Snouted pipefish, Sargassum pipefish |
2016 |
|
Europe
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Aulostomus strigosus Wheeler, 1955 English common names: Atlantic trumpetfish, Atlantic cornetfish |
2014 |
|
| Fistularia petimba Lacepède, 1803 English common names: Red cornetfish |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus erectus Perry, 1810 English common names: Lined seahorse, Horsefish, Northern seahorse, Spotted seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829 English common names: Long-snouted seahorse, Spiny seahorse, Maned seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Short-snouted seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Macroramphosus scolopax (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Longspine snipefish, Common bellowsfish, Spine trumpetfish, Slender snipefish |
2014 |
|
| Nerophis lumbriciformis (Jenyns, 1835) English common names: Worm pipefish |
2024 |
|
| Nerophis maculatus Rafinesque, 1810 English common names: Spotted pipefish, Spotted worm pipefish |
2024 |
|
| Nerophis ophidion (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Straightnose pipefish |
2024 |
|
| Syngnathus abaster (Risso, 1827) English common names: Black-striped pipefish |
2022 |
|
| Syngnathus acus (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Longsnout pipefish, Common pipefish, Great pipefish, Greater pipefish, Narrowsnouted pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus caspius (Eichwald, 1831) English common names: Caspian pipefish, Caspian Sea pipefish |
2022 |
|
| Syngnathus phlegon (Risso, 1827) English common names: Pelagic spiny pipefish, Spiny pipefish |
2024 |
|
| Syngnathus rostellatus (Nilsson, 1855) English common names: Nilsson's pipefish, Lesser pipefish |
2024 |
|
| Syngnathus schmidti (Popov, 1928) English common names: Black Sea pelagic pipefish |
2024 |
|
| Syngnathus taenionotus (Canestrini, 1871) English common names: Darkflank pipefish, Green pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Syngnathus typhle (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Broadnosed pipefish, Deep-snouted pipefish, High-snouted pipefish, Snouted pipefish, Sargassum pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus variegatus (Pallas, 1814) English common names: Thickly snouted pipefish |
2023 |
|
Pan-Africa
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Enneacampus ansorgii (Boulenger, 1910) English common names: African freshwater pipefish |
2016 |
|
| Enneacampus kaupi (Bleeker, 1863) English common names: |
2016 |
|
| Hippichthys cyanospilos (Bleeker, 1854) English common names: Bluespeckled pipefish, Blue-spotted pipefish, Ward's pipefish |
2006 |
|
| Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838) English common names: Bellybarred pipefish, Banded freshwater pipefish, Blue spotted pipefish |
2002 |
|
| Microphis fluviatilis (Peters, 1852) English common names: Freshwater pipefish |
2009 |
|
Eastern Africa
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Hippichthys cyanospilos (Bleeker, 1854) English common names: Bluespeckled pipefish, Blue-spotted pipefish, Ward's pipefish |
2006 |
|
| Hippichthys heptagonus Bleeker, 1849 English common names: Reticulated freshwater pipefish, Belly pipefish, Freshwater pipefish, Madura pipefish, Short-snouted pipefish, Small-headed pipefish |
2004 |
|
| Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838) English common names: Bellybarred pipefish, Banded freshwater pipefish, Blue spotted pipefish |
2002 |
|
| Microphis fluviatilis (Peters, 1852) English common names: Freshwater pipefish |
2004 |
|
Central Africa
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Enneacampus ansorgii (Boulenger, 1910) English common names: African freshwater pipefish |
2009 |
|
| Enneacampus kaupi (Bleeker, 1863) English common names: |
2009 |
|
Western Africa
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Enneacampus ansorgii (Boulenger, 1910) English common names: African freshwater pipefish |
2006 |
|
| Enneacampus kaupi (Bleeker, 1863) English common names: |
2006 |
|
Southern Africa
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Enneacampus ansorgii (Boulenger, 1910) English common names: African freshwater pipefish |
2006 |
|
| Hippichthys heptagonus Bleeker, 1849 English common names: Reticulated freshwater pipefish, Belly pipefish, Freshwater pipefish, Madura pipefish, Short-snouted pipefish, Small-headed pipefish |
2006 |
|
| Microphis fluviatilis (Peters, 1852) English common names: Freshwater pipefish |
2006 |
|
Persian Gulf
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Acentronura tentaculata Günther, 1870 English common names: Shortpouch pygmy pipehorse, Dwarf pipehorse, Nothern little pipehorse |
2014 |
|
| Bryx analicarens (Duncker, 1915) English common names: Pink pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Centriscus scutatus Linnaeus, 1758 English common names: Grooved razorfish, Serrate razorfish, Grooved shrimpfish, Rigid shrimpfish, Gutter snipefish |
2014 |
|
| Choeroichthys brachysoma (Bleeker, 1855) English common names: Short-bodied pipefish, Dotted pipefish, Pacific shortbody pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Cosmocampus investigatoris (Hora, 1926) English common names: Investigator pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Doryrhamphus excisus Kaup, 1856 English common names: Bluestripe pipefish, Pacific bluestripe pipefish, Fantail pipefish, Black-sided pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Fistularia petimba Lacepède, 1803 English common names: Red cornetfish |
2014 |
|
| Hippichthys penicillus (Cantor, 1849) English common names: Beady pipefish, Black-chinned pipefish, Mangrove pipefish, Steep-nosed pipefish, Gazelle pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852 English common names: Spotted seahorse, Common seahorse, Estuarine seahorse, Yellow seahorse, Smooth seahorse, Sad seahorse, Dull seahorse, Oceanic seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus (Bleeker, 1857) English common names: Bentstick pipefish, Bend stick pipefish, Chocolate pipefish, Double-ended pipefish, Ringed pipefish, Short-tailed pipefish, Stick pipefish |
2014 |
|
Gulf of Mexico
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Amphelikturus dendritica (Barbour, 1905) English common names: West Atlantic pygmy pipehorse, Atlantic pipehorse |
2014 |
|
| Anarchopterus criniger (Bean & Dresel, 1884) English common names: Fringed pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Anarchopterus tectus (Dawson, 1978) English common names: Insular pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Aulostomus maculatus Valenciennes, 1841 English common names: West Atlantic Trumpetfish, Caribbean trumpetfish |
2014 |
|
| Bryx dunckeri (Metzelaar, 1919) English common names: American pugnose pipefish , Pugnose pipefish, Duncker's pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Fistularia tabacaria Linnaeus, 1758 English common names: Blue-spotted Cornetfish, Unarmed trumpetfish, Tobacco trumpetfish |
2014 |
|
| Cosmocampus albirostris (Kaup, 1856) English common names: Whitenose pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Cosmocampus brachycephalus (Poey, 1868) English common names: American crested pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Cosmocampus elucens (Poey, 1868) English common names: Short-fin pipefish, Poey's pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Cosmocampus hildebrandi (Herald, 1965) English common names: American dwarf pipefish, Dwarf pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Fistularia petimba Lacepède, 1803 English common names: Red cornetfish |
2014 |
|
| Halicampus crinitus (Jenyns, 1842) English common names: Banded pipefish, Harlequin pipefish, Insular pipefish, West Indian pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus erectus Perry, 1810 English common names: Lined seahorse, Horsefish, Northern seahorse, Spotted seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus reidi Ginsburg, 1933 English common names: Long-snout seahorse, Slender seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Hippocampus zosterae Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 English common names: Dwarf seahorse, Pygmy seahorse, Little seahorse, Lichtenstein's Seahorse |
2014 |
|
| Macroramphosus scolopax (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Longspine snipefish, Common bellowsfish, Spine trumpetfish, Slender snipefish |
2015 |
|
| Syngnathus caribbaeus (Dawson, 1979) English common names: Caribbean pipefish |
2015 |
|
| Syngnathus floridae (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) English common names: Dusky pipefish, Florida pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus louisianae (Günther, 1870) English common names: Chain pipefish, Louisiana pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) English common names: Sargassum pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus scovelli (Evermann & Kendall, 1896) English common names: Gulf pipefish, American gulf pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus springeri (Herald, 1942) English common names: Bull pipefish |
2014 |
|
Caribbean
Species |
Year of latest |
IUCN Regional |
| Minyichthys inusitatus Dawson, 1983 English common names: West Atlantic pipefish |
2023 |
|
| Penetopteryx nanus (Rosén, 1911) English common names: Lost pipefish, Finless pipefish, Worm pipefish |
2014 |
|
| Syngnathus dawsoni (Herald, 1969) English common names: Chain pearlfish |
2014 |
|
IUCN Red List categories
Click here for a full explanation of IUCN Red List categories. A brief key is provided below.
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| Extinct | Extinct in the Wild |
Critically Endangered |
Endangered | Vulnerable | Near Threatened |
Least Concern |
Data Deficient |
Not Evaluated |
A note on ‘Data Deficient’ species: Species that are assessed as Data Deficient are deemed to have insufficient information known about them to carry out a proper conservation assessment. Although such species are not assessed as threatened, we may find out that they in fact are, once enough data is obtained.
Banner image of Pontoh's seahorse (H. pontohi) © Tom van Hout / Guylian Seahorses of the World
[Page updated Sept 2026]