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Description.
Slow-swimming fish, varying in size from a quarter of an inch to a foot or more, depending on the species (there are 35 in all). Males have pouches in which to carry eggs. Individuals are identified by their distinctive coronets. Like chameleons, seahorses change color to blend in with their surroundings. They are further camouflaged by encrusting organisms and by skin appendages, which allow them to blend in with algae. Life Cycle. The female lays up to 200 eggs, which she deposits in the male's pouch. The father carries them for 2-3 weeks, depending on the species and water temperature, until they hatch. He becomes pregnant again immediately. Seahorses are monogamous. Only a few of the thousands of young that a couple produces survive to maturity. Their life span is unknown. Habitat and Distribution. Seahorses live among sea grass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs in temperate and tropical coastal waters around the world. No one knows how many seahorses there are. |
 Seahorses are fish. They change color to camouflage themselves. The male gets pregnant and gives birth. They are monogamous. The Chinese use them to cure impotence. 
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Behaviors.
Seahorses anchor themselves by wrapping their tails around something stationary, like coral or seagrass. The best way to spot a camouflaged seahorse is to look for the curl of tail.
Food. Live shrimp and other crustaceans. Seahorses can eat up to 3,000 brine shrimp a day. Lacking teeth, they swallow food whole. Threats. Some 20 million seahorses are traded annually, due mainly to the growing demand for them in traditional Asian medicine. Also, trawling, dredging and pollution threaten the seahorse's habitat. Seahorse populations have declined dramatically in the past 5 years. Conservation efforts (there aren't many) involve working with local communities on aquaculture and sustainable fishing techniques. Natural predators include crab, tuna, skates and rays, but the biggest natural killer of adult seahorses may be storms. |
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