evidence: Between the years of 1986 and 1998, the Coral Cay Conservation reported that Hippocampus erectus had a rare abundance in 7 proposed or established Marine Protected Areas where it was recorded: Turneffe Atoll, South Water Cay Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Cays, Snake Cays, and other unspecified areas (Harborne 2000). H. erectus has been frequently captured as bycatch by shrimp bait fishermen and it has been proposed to introduce seasonal and area closures (Baum et al. 2003).