The name comes from the Greek hippos (horse) and kampos (sea monster).
The first water horse, or hippocampus, was a fabled sea animal from Greek mythology it is half-horse and half-fish, with the head and forequarters of a horse and the tail and hindquarters of a fish or dolphin. It had forelegs with webbed paws, and may have a fin on the back of its neck. Later depictions of the Hippocampus gave it a dorsal fin instead of a mane, fins instead of hooves, and, on rare occasions, wings.
Posiedon created the Hippocampus as a watery-equivilent for the horse, which he made as a gift for his sister Demeter.
Was the legendary hippocampus inspired by the tiny, real life seahorse?
Sea gods from early times have been pictured riding a hippocampus. Gods like Milqart, worshipped by a cult that spread throughout the Mediterranean region. And, of course The chariot of Poseidon was drawn by a hippocampus. While Neptune, is often riding a hippocampus or has his chariot drawn by two of them.
