9 Interesting Facts About Seahorse
Seahorses are very interesting Marine fish. Yes, you heard it right; the seahorse is a fish. They mostly prefer to live in tropical and temperate water. These vertebrates have excellent courtship behavior and amazing colors.
These animals feed on a carnivore diet, including tiny fish, small crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates. It would be quite fascinating to know more facts about seahorses. Therefore, we have brought various interesting and lesser-known seahorse facts.
Basic Seahorse Facts
Name
The scientific name of a seahorse is Hippocampus, and it got its name “seahorse” because it belongs to the class Syngnathidae which means “jaw” and “together.” It also looks like a horse.
Scientific Classification
Seahorse is a member of the genus hippocampus. It belongs to the Chordata phylum.
Latin Name
The Latin name provided to seahorses is Hippocampus.
Appearance
They are seahorses, and as expected, their head is in the form of a horse. They have a tail that lacks a caudal fin. Two independently moving eyes add up some spice to their beauty. They have a brood pouch to carry embryos taken from the female partner. They have no teeth in their mouths.
Common Seahorse Types (Species)
The most common seahorse species include Pacific seahorse, Lined seahorse, Dwarf seahorse, Tiger tail seahorse, and many other types.
Size And Weight
The height of a normal seahorse usually ranges from 6 to 14 inches. Also, a seahorse weighs 7.5 ounces to around 1 pound on average.
Habitat And Range
The habitat of seahorses consists of oceans, seas, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. There are many seahorses present in the Atlantic Ocean.
Diet
Seahorse takes a nutritious carnivorous diet which includes tiny fishes and aquatic invertebrates. In addition, seahorses are excellent in camouflage as they usually hide to catch up with their prey.
Life Expectancy
The natural life expectancy of these creatures isn’t known, but according to the available data, their life expectancy is around three to five years.
9 Interesting Seahorse Facts
1. Whom Do Seahorse Live With
Seahorses have only one partner for their whole lifetime; they are monogamous. Courtship of male and female seahorses can continue up to hours. They change color when they come near each other.
It is seen that seahorses usually move spirally around objects, indicating their strong bond. After the courtship finishes, the female seahorse is supposed to return to its territory. Baby seahorses usually move here and there in groups.
2. How Do Seahorses Communicate
Some research on seahorses says that they can make a growling sound, which is not visible clearly to a normal human ear. These creatures also make a hushed clicking sound when feeding. However, this sound gets louder during the mating process. This sound is well hushed because seahorses are active about not alerting a predator nearby.
3. Reproduction Of Seahorses
The way they reproduce makes them extremely unique. In the case of seahorses, the male partner gives birth to young ones, which sounds a bit strange. This is because, like a Kangaroo, the male seahorse also has a Brood pouch to carry the fertilized eggs.
The female transfers the eggs into the male’s pouch through an egg duct. This process takes place after the courtship ends. Many chemical reactions occurring in male Seahorses’ bodies help the eggs to remain in good condition.
The male seahorse contracts its body during the hatching stage and releases the offspring after the hatching stage. It releases a lot of offspring at a time (approx 100-1000). However, only a few of the 1000 eggs survive till hatching. After giving birth, the male is ready to receive the next batch of eggs from the same partner.
4. Movement Speed Of A Seahorse
The shape of their body makes them poor swimmers. They tend to swim in an upright manner. Dwarf moving seahorse is the slowest of their group and swims only at a speed of 1.5 m/h.
If a seahorse gets caught in a sea storm, it can even die of exhaustion. This happens because the situation becomes very stressful for fish. Their small dorsal fins help them move forward, while small pectoral fins on their back help them turn around.
5. Symbolisation Of A Seahorse
In ancient Greek and Roman culture, it was considered a symbol of great power and strength. Moreover, it was considered to be an attribute of the sea god Poseidon. In the culture of China, it is considered to be a form of a sea dragon, which is a symbol of good luck and power.
6. Eyesight Of A Seahorse
One of the biggest advantages to the seahorse over their prey is their eyesight. They have two eyes that are capable of moving independently. It means that they can look in two directions at one time.
7. Threats
Seahorses are endangered worldwide because there are many reasons these animals are being harmed. Traditional Chinese medicine trade takes up to 150 million seahorses just to make medicine. These beautiful creatures are shelled as souvenirs. Pet trade takes about 1 million seahorses. However, this report shows that only 1000 of them can survive more than six weeks.
8. They Are Crazy Dexterous
They have a very flexible tail for some reason. They can anchor themselves with passing vegetation or other material to reach their destination. Seahorses are sometimes also found holding their partner tight with their tail. They do so to show love and affection towards their partner.
9. Strict Diet: Eating Continuously
We can understand that these organisms don’t have teeth, but would you believe they have no stomach? In this way, the digestive system of a seahorse is unique. Their digestive system works with great rapidity. Don’t judge a seahorse by its size, as it can eat more than 3000 Brine shrimps every day. They use their trumpet-like snout for grabbing and sucking their prey up.
Conclusion
These seahorse facts make them fascinating creatures with a lot of symbolic importance and great features regarding diet and reproductive methods. Unfortunately, these seahorses need to be saved as many of them die every year due to our small mistakes.
If we don’t care for them properly, maybe soon they will become extinct. However, seahorses are symbols of power and good luck; they will keep wishing us good luck until they are present in this world. We hope that the above article helped you to learn lesser-known seahorse facts.