Did it eat too many seabiscuits? World's largest seahorse found off Dorset

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The world's largest seahorse has been discovered by a fisherman off the British coast, sparking fresh hope for the endangered mystical creatures.

The 13-inch spiny seahorse was accidentally hauled up in a net in by Michael Bailey while he was out fishing for mullet in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

Experts say the enormous fish is around twice the average size for the species and is the biggest ever discovered - smashing the existing record by almost two inches.

When they realised just how big the rare specimen was they immediately called a seahorse expert from their boat who advised them to measure it and take a photo.

They then released the gigantic seahorse unharmed back into the English Channel after first noting the location of the record-breaking find.

Did it eat too many seabiscuits? World's biggest seahorse caught in fisherman's net off south coast of England is THIRTEEN inches from snout to tail


The spiny seahorse was accidentally hauled up in a net by Michael Bailey

He was out fishing with friend Malcolm Glover in Poole Harbour, Dorset

They called a seahorse expert who told them to measure it and take photo

Pair were told it's biggest ever recorded at around twice the average size


By Jaya Narain for the Daily Mail
28 September 2015
Daily Mail


This seahorse, which was pulled from the waters at Poole Harbour in Dorset, is the biggest in the world


The world's largest seahorse has been discovered by a fisherman off the British coast, sparking fresh hope for the endangered mystical creatures.

The 13-inch spiny seahorse was accidentally hauled up in a net in by Michael Bailey while he was out fishing for mullet in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

Experts say the enormous fish is around twice the average size for the species and is the biggest ever discovered - smashing the existing record by almost two inches.

The monster seahorse hooked its tail round Mr Bailey’s net and clung to it as he and crewmate Malcolm Glover hailed their catch on board.

When they realised just how big the rare specimen was they immediately called a seahorse expert from their boat who advised them to measure it and take a photo.

They then released the gigantic seahorse unharmed back into the English Channel after first noting the location of the record-breaking find.

Once back on shore expert Neil Garrick-Maidment, director of the Seahorse Trust, gave them the news that their seahorse was the largest ever caught in the wild anywhere in the world.

Measuring 34 cm, Mr Bailey also holds the record for the three largest ever recorded in the British Isles with the other two measuring 30cm and 24cm.

Mr Bailey, 47, skipper of the Karen Rose, said: ‘We fish by shooting a net out from the boat then bring it back in. Any seahorses in the water grab hold of the mesh with their tails.

‘We see around 30 seahorses a year but there was something very special about this one. It was enormous in comparison to the ones we get normally and so I phoned Neil from the Seahorse Trust straight away.

‘He asked me to measure and photograph it, log where we caught it, and then put it back. It was only when we got back to shore that Neil told me it was the biggest seahorse ever caught in the wild, anywhere in the world. It's not a record I was expecting to have but it's fantastic news for the species.’

‘We do see quite a lot, it's quite surprising. They are quite cute,’ added Mr Bailey, who has been fishing the south coast waters for more than 30-years.


The sea creature was found by Michael Bailey (left) and his crewmate Malcolm Glover (right) after hooking its tail round their net



Mr Garrick-Maidment added: ‘Michael is dedicated to the ocean where he earns his living. He has been very good to us, letting us know when he finds seahorses and always puts them straight back into the sea for the good of the species.

‘He kindly records them and lets us know about them, which is then fed into the National Seahorse Database, which we use in turn to help lobby the authorities to get them to enforce the legal protection they have.

‘Michael is a good ambassador for seahorses as he talks with his fellow fishermen and lets them know what he is doing and I think he has encouraged others to also put them back into the water. We just need them to also report them in to us.’

Mr Bailey has netted hundreds of seahorses in British waters over the years and previously handed over a pregnant male to The Seahorse Trust.

The Trust lobbed for legal protection for the species for more than six years before a decision was finally taken to protect seahorses in 2008.

Seahorses are a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and are on the IUCN red list.

Their numbers in UK waters are said to be dwindling due to the destruction of eelgrass beds, which provide ideal breeding grounds for them.

Studland Bay at the entrance to Poole Harbour is the only place in Britain which is home to both native seahorse species, the spiny and short-snouted varieties.

EIGHT THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SEAHORSES...



The male is the only creature on the planet that has a true pregnancy. Mating involves the female placing her eggs in the male’s abdominal pouch. He then becomes pregnant, having anything up to 4,000 young in a labour that can last 12 hours.

They suck up their food in their snout.

They mate for life.

The Greek name for seahorse is "Hippocampus" which means "Horse Seamonster". The hippocampus, a major component of the human brain, is so-named because of its resemblance to a seahorse.

Masters of camouflage, they can change colour to match their surroundings even turning bright red to match floating debris.

An endangered species they face a major threat from the Chinese medicine industry which uses powdered seahorse as a treatment for baldness and impotence,

Unlike most fish, seahorses have an exo-skeleton with their bodies made up of hard, external, bony plates fused together with a fleshy covering.

Seahorses are dreadful swimmers, beating their fins very quickly – up to 50 times a second – but move very little, preferring to hold on to the same piece of coral for days at a time.

 
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