Rare seahorse found in River Thames could be part of 'colony'

Evidence of a rare colony of seahorses has been found in the River Thames, the Environment Agency has confirmed.

A short-snouted hippocampus seahorse was spotted during a routine fisheries survey at Greenwich – the first sighting of its kind. The species, which can grow up to 15cm, are rarely found in the UK.

“The seahorse we found was only 5cm long, a juvenile, suggesting that they may be breeding nearby,” said Emma Barton, Environment Agency Fisheries Officer. “This is a really good sign that seahorse populations are not only increasing, but spreading to locations where they haven’t been seen before.”

“We routinely survey the Thames at this time of year and this is a really exciting discovery,” she added. “We hope that further improvements to water quality and habitat in the Thames will encourage more of these rare species to take up residence in the river.”

Seahorses are now protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. The hippocampus found in the River Thames was released back into the water.