Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young.
Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long.
Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then releases fully formed, miniature seahorses into the water.
Seahorses are fish belonging to the Syngnathidae family which also includes sea dragons, sea moths, and pipe fish. They are the genus Hippocampus (this is the H. that you see before the scientific name of a species) There are approximately 34 separate species of seahorse.
The population of wild seahorses is declining. Only one species, H. capensis has been officially declared endangered, however for most species there is too little information available to determine their correct status and are therefore considered threatened based on the limited knowledge. We do know that over 20 million seahorses are caught each year to be used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and hundreds of thousands are taken for the aquarium and curio trades.
*I have been receiving a lot of questions about breeding and raising seahorses. Before you decide to get a seahorse as a pet please do your research first. I have provided you with many useful links on this site, which should help you decide if you are capable of raising seahorse.
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Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 1 to 5 years (estimated)
Size: 0.6 to 14 in (1.5 to 35 cm)
Did you know? Seahorses have no teeth and no stomach. Food passes through their digestive systems so quickly, they must eat almost constantly to stay alive.
-seahorse.org
-seahorse.com
-syngnathids.org
-Nova
Information on this site taken from here:
-National Geographic
-worldofseahorses.com
I really appreciate free, sccuinct, reliable data like this.
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What’s it take to bcmeoe a sublime expounder of prose like yourself?
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hello dit you get my message?
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I realy learn a lot from here . I just wish that my parents let me to have a male and a female seahorse . I am 9 years old . And to know where I can buy it .I realy enjoy watching the H. male seahorse giving birth . The email is my mother’s actually .
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hello
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hello
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hello???????????????
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eunice?
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I bghuot the blue seahorse when my daughter was about 5 months old. It was her nap and sleeping toy/stuffed animal that only lives in her crib,so she learned to know this toy with sleep only. This also makes it great for trips. Once she see’s it she feels more comfortable. She has grown very attached to this toy. The seahorse has volume control which is great bc babies cuddle up to it and the music can be soft and not hurt their ears. As my daughter grew,she learned how to turn it on and off,great for cause/effect. I also taught my daughter about the seahorses eyes,nose,tail, color etc. Every morning she hands it to me,gives it a kiss and shows me that she can turn it on,so cute. She is now 17 months old and still loves it! I also bghuot another one in pink for her grandparents to leave over their house for sleepovers. Love it!! Almost better than the oldie glow worm! lol
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hello i’ve been chatting you since wednesday eunice
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dummy
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Many thanks for your site! I really appreciate what you’re doing here.
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My male seahorse was introduced to 2 female seahorses Dec 27th. As of 2 weeks ago his pouch has started swelling, and rather quickly. He loved the girl ponies and would dance with them.
My question is: How long is the baby carrying process? As of 3-4 days ago, he is having trouble swimming and wants to go bouyant. He does manage to twist and turn down to post on the plant but, I am concerned. Is he pregnant or does he have the gas in the pouch problem. I have looked online and the pouch looks the same in both cases. I hate to do a pouch evacuation as I have never experienced it ever before, but dont want him to die either. When very big in pregnancy do they become bouyant? Help…
I believe he is of the kellogi specie as are the 2 females.
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Excellent read. I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. He actually bought me lunch since I found it for him! Therefore let me rephrase: Thank you for lunch!,
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hi??
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