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Pegasids, relatives of seahorses with huge wing-like fins, are threatened by
the soaring demand for Chinese medicines. A survey of 87 shops and stalls in
China and Hong Kong, reported in Oryx(vol 31, p 199), uncovered
millions of the dried fish on sale. Pegasids are sold as substitutes for
seahorses, which are prescribed for respiratory diseases and cancers. China’s
growing prosperity is boosting demand for seahorses by 10 per cent a year. As
supplies run out, pegasids are being fished from shallow waters, where they
“walk” on the seabed.