Sea Horse

OrderGasterosteiformes
FamilySyngnathidae
GenusHippocampus
Lengthfrom 1 inch for the dwarf pygmy sea horse
to 14 inches for the large Eastern Pacific sea horse.
Mating SeasonYear-round in tropical seas. Spring and
summer in cooler waters.
Coincides with full moon.
GestationUsually 14 or 28 days
Number of YoungAbout 50, depending on species
HabitSocial
DietPlanktonic crustacea, tiny fish and
other marine life.
LifespanNot Known



Sea horses are usually found in warm, shallow water among sea grass beds. They situate themselves near deep, fast-running channels that provide them with plankton, the microscopic marine life on which they feed. To avoid being swept away by the current, they wrap their long tails around nearby vegetation. Their tails are prehensile----specially adapted for grasping.


Sea Horse


Sea horses feed constantly on plankton and other small fish. A sea horse can use each eye independently from the other, which allows it to search for prey without moving its body. When prey comes close, the sea horse can snap it up from up to an inch and half away. The sea horse can avoid most predators because its coloration acts as camouflage in all surroundings. Within seconds, it can change from gray or black to vivid yellow or purple.

Sea horses are an unusual species in that the male becomes pregnant. The female releases her eggs into a pouch on the male's abdomen. As the eggs attach themselves to the spongy pouch wall, he fertilizes them and nourishes them with a special fluid secretion. After gestation, about fifty young are released from his pouch.

The sea horse was once thought to be a mythological creature. Today it is much in demand for home aquariums. However, it is extremely difficult to keep a sea horse alive outside its natural environment, probably because of the high intake of food it needs to survive.


Sea Horse



DID YOU KNOW?
Except for crabs, few predators eat sea
horses---they are too bony
Male pregnancy lets the female produce more eggs
quickly without nurturing the last batch
Female sea horses compete with each
other for male mating partners

Information is Copyright IMP BV/IMP Inc. Wildlife Fact File