Do you know interesting facts about seahorses?, here we share some Interesting Facts About Seahorses.
Sea horse (Hippocampus ssp) is one of the aquatic animals belonging to the hippocampus group and the Syngnathidae group. Even though it belongs to a type of fish, its body shape looks like a horse, which causes the naming of the animal as a sea horse. According to the World Register of Marine Species, there are 53 species of seahorses. They range in size from less than 1 inch to 14 inches (35 Centimeters). They are categorized in the Family Syngnathidae, which includes pipefish and seadragons.
Seahorses are fish
This animal is a fish and not a mammal. It was not easy to agree on which category the seahorse should be placed in, but the experts finally agreed that the seahorse is a fish.
This decision was made based on several characteristics of this animal.
They breathe using their gills
Have pouches to control their buoyancy
Have fins
Seahorses are classified in the Class Actinopterygii, bony fish. Other fish that are also included in this class are cod and tuna. These animals have no tail fins, but they do have 4 fins, one at the base of the tail, one under the belly, and one behind each cheek.
Bad swimmer
Although including fish, seahorses are not great swimmers. They do not like to swim and sometimes prefer to stay in one area only. Not infrequently they prefer to anchor themselves on rocks or grass for days. Their fins can move 50 times per second and are used for forward, backward, up, and down. This differentiates them from other fish, which cannot swim backward.
Can See 360 Degrees
Another characteristic of seahorses is that they have very good eyesight. The seahorse’s eyes can work independently on either side of its head. This allows the seahorse to look forward and backward at the same time. This condition is very beneficial for seahorses in their search for food.
Likes to Eat
Seahorses feed on plankton and small crustaceans. Seahorses don’t have teeth or a stomach like other marine animals. In digesting their food, seahorses use their slender snouts to suck up prey, then devour without chewing. The slender muzzle of seahorses can widen according to the size of their prey’s body so that they have no difficulty in devouring prey that is larger than them. Therefore, even though the sea horse’s body is small, they are able to consume 3000 crustaceans every day without experiencing digestive problems.
Loyal
Many seahorses are monogamous, at least during a single breeding season. The myth perpetuates that seahorses mate for life, but this is not one hundred percent true. Because there are also species of seahorses that change partners. Unlike many other fish species, seahorses have complex mating rituals and may form bonds that last throughout the breeding season. There is a courtship process that involves a “dance” in which they coil their tails, and their bodies change color.
Male Gives Birth
Unlike other species, where the female bears the child, in the world of seahorses, it is the male that will carry the child. This happens because the female seahorse will insert her eggs through the oviduct into the male parent’s pouch. The male wiggles to get the egg into position. After all the eggs have been laid, the male goes to the nearest coral or seaweed and waits for the eggs to hatch. This process of conception lasts for several weeks. When it was time to give birth, she would twist her body until all her children were born. This birth process can only take a few minutes or hours. Baby seahorses look like miniature versions of their parents.
Undercover Members
Some seahorses, such as the common pygmy seahorse, have shapes, sizes, and colors that allow them to blend in perfectly with their reef habitat. Others, such as the spiny seahorse, change color to blend in with their surroundings.
Endangered with Extinction
Seahorses are threatened because of human activity. Apart from hunting for traditional medicinal ingredients, they are also threatened by pollution and contamination which often destroys their habitat in shallow waters. Not to mention the increasing number of people who catch it to be used as an aquarium decoration.
Seahorses are skilled in camouflage
Some seahorses, such as the common pygmy seahorse, have shapes, sizes, and colors that allow them to blend in perfectly with their reef habitat. Others, such as the spiny seahorse, change color to blend in with their surroundings.
Humans have made use of seahorses in many ways.
In his book Poseidon’s Steed, Dr. Helen Scales discusses the human relationship with seahorses.
They have been used as objects of art for centuries, and are still used as ingredients in traditional Asian medicine.
Usually, those who concoct medicine with seahorses will have an aquarium where seahorses are raised apart from taking them directly from the sea.
