32 species of seahorses are listed as endangered and subject to strict controls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
One of the largest and most complex problems facing sea horses is that out of the 20 million creatures captured each year, more than 95 percent of them are used for traditional Chinese medicines. In Chinese communities worldwide, potions made from sea horses are used to treat everything from impotence and infertility to asthma and skin diseases.