West African seahorse shown in its natural habitat

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has released footage of a little known species, the West African seahorse.

Researcher Kate West was travelling on a local fishing boat off the coast of Senegal, speaking to the fisherman about their interaction with the species, when she spotted and filmed a seahorse in the wild.

The vibrantly-coloured seahorse can be seen bobbing about in the water and being caught by the fishermen, then released unharmed.

Kate was finding out more about the growing seahorse trade in West Africa whilst on the boat. The seahorse trade, primarily for Chinese medicine, has risen dramatically in recent years, with about 600,000 West African seahorses being exported annually.

The research is part of a joint investigation between ZSL's Project Seahorse, Imperial College London, and the University of British Columbia (UBC).

"Poor visibility and general diving conditions off the coast of West Africa make field study more difficult than in other areas where seahorses are found, so no research has been done on this species," said Kate.

"Nothing is known about its habitat, life cycle, or population status - that is why this study, the first of its kind, is so important for future efforts in marine conservation."

Click here to watch the video.