Unusual Weather Condition Causing the Transfer of Seahorses Hippocampus kuda onto the Sandy Beach of Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra

While surveying for raptors along the Achara beach in Malvan taluk of Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, seahorses Hippocampus kuda belonging to the family Syngnathidae were noticed on the beach on 23 June 2015. All seahorses belong to one genus Hippocampus, in which there are 34 species recognized all over the world. Despite their small size, seahorses form a valuable fisheries resource in some areas and support a sizeable international trade. Hence all Hippocampus species are listed under Appendix II of the CITES and are categorized as vulnerable in the IUCN 2015 Red List of species.