The Amazing Seahorse
by
Mary Syrett

 

Seahorses, with the head of a horse, eyes like a chameleon, a pouch like a kangaroo, a tail like a monkey and males that give birth, have captured the imagination of people for centuries. The generic name for seahorses – Hippocampus – literally means “horse sea monster.”
Distinguishing Characteristics. There are eight families in the suborder Syngathoidei to which seahorses belong. This suborder includes the sea-moths (Pegasidae), ghost pipefishes (Solenostomidae), seahorses and pipefishes (Syngnathidae), trumpetfishes (Aulostomidae), cornetfishes (Fistulariidae), snipefishes (Macroramphosidae), shrimpfishes (Centriscidae), and the rare freshwater indostomids (family Indostomidae), which are restricted to the Burmese area.
These creatures have several unique biological and anatomical characteristics that distinguish them from all other fishes. Physical characteristics exhibited within the order include partial or complete external armor in the form of bony plates, tufted gills and an elongated snout ending in a small mouth.
Strange Pipefishes. Seahorses form a subfamily of the pipefish family, the members of which are distinguished by the absence of a caudal fin and an upright swimming habit. This upright fish swims by means of a dorsal fin that is translucent and often nearly invisible, as well as with pectoral fins located behind the head. The dorsal fin can undulate at a rate of 75 times per second. Despite this impressive fin speed, seahorses are very slow swimmers.
Pipefish species include chain, northern, Gulf, dusky and sargassum. This very slender fish varies in color. It is often mistaken as a stick or a grass blade in coastal seagrass meadows.
Representative Seahorse Species. There are 80 species of seahorses. They are found in both warm, tropical seas and chilly waters. With one possible exception, all are marine. The animals live in grass beds, kelp forests, mangroves and around corals. Very slow swimmers, seahorses have a prehensile tail (adapted for seizing or holding, especially by wrapping around an object) that they use to grasp onto seagrasses, sea fans and other objects.
The smallest member of the seahorse family, the Dwarf Seahorse is found in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida, west to Texas, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean off the Bahamas, the Carolinas and Maryland. The species is beige, yellow, green or black with white markings that look like splashes of paint. It is found in shallow grass flats, as well as among floating vegetation.
The Lined Seahorse is found from New York through the Gulf of Mexico south to the West Indies. The species may develop intricate fronds (fern-like leaflets) and vary in color from ash gray, orange, or brown to yellow, red or black. White lines are often found on the head and neck. Lined seahorses live in shallow water among seagrasses and sponges.
The Longsnout Seahorse lives in the warm western Atlantic from Maryland to the West Indies among seagrasses and sargassum. It is a slender species that is covered with brown spots and numerous tiny white dots, especially on the tail. The longsnout seahorse has eye spines and a long, thick snout.
Seahorse Facts. Seahorses must eat almost constantly in order not to starve. They use their long snouts to suck in food – small shrimp, plankton and fish larvae; whatever will pass through the tiny mouth.
Unlike most fish, seahorses don’t have scales. Their skin is stretched over bony plates. Despite this protection, many seahorses are found in the stomach contents of larger fish.
Seahorses range in size from about an inch to more than a foot long. Small seahorses live about two years, while the medium-size and larger species can live up to four years.
Seahorses often change color. They do so to hide from predators, to show aggression, and to engage in courtship rituals. Each eye can rotate independently from the other; consequently, one eye can look in one direction at the same time the other is scouting out a completely different area. This gives the seahorse a comical facial expression and is one of the reasons why the animal is such a popular addition to aquaria.
Male Pregnancy. The most unusual feature of the seahorse is that the male gives birth. The male seahorse’s pregnancy begins with a greeting ritual dance that is initiated by the female. Their elegant courtship includes the pair changing color, entwining around one another, and promenading together for up to nine hours.
Eventually, the female points her snout up and starts rising in the water. The male then begins to force water in and out of his abdominal brood pouch. The pair connect, their movements synchronized as they rise through the water, while the female positions her egg duct over the opening of the male’s pouch. They lock together in mid-water as the female transfers long, sticky strings of eggs into the pouch, where they are fertilized. When the boning ritual is completed, the partners drift down to the bottom of their habitat and the male sways gently back and forth, encouraging the eggs to settle firmly into his pouch.
Depending of the species and the water temperature, pregnancy lasts from two to six weeks and the male will give birth to up to 1500 babies.
Artists often depict the seahorse’s tail as being curled back toward the head, however this position is impossible for an adult to attain. Young seahorses are more agile than are adults and can bend their tails backward in a reverse crescent formation. Adult seahorses seldom carry the tail in a straight position and usually keep it coiled forward.
Could We Lose These Incredible Animals? Although seahorses are found worldwide, there is growing concern over declining populations. Their natural habitats are typically areas of the ocean that are most heavily exploited by man. Human population explosion and destructive fishing methods are destroying many of these areas. This destruction presents a real threat, not only to the seahorses, but also to the global marine environment.
Compounding the problem is the use of seahorses in Eastern medicine, where the dried bodies of these fish are believed useful for treating such ailments as intestinal disorders, baldness, pain and impotence. Millions of seahorses are harvested every year for these purposes. Some 36 nations are involved in buying and selling seahorses, which activity has caused an alarming decline in native populations.
Project Seahorse is an international effort aimed at educating people about these animals. The Project is working to expand knowledge about the proper care of seahorses in the aquarium industry, as well as managing seahorse fisheries and wild populations.
International protective legislation can help save the seahorse from extinction. Aquafarming can help solve the global problem of overfishing for food and the consequent habitat destruction. Although the aquarium trade represents only a tiny fraction of all seahorse harvesting, the marine hobbyist can help alleviate the pressure on wild populations of seahorses by choosing a farm-raised seahorse for his or her home aquarium.
The seahorse is a marvel of the animal kingdom everywhere they are found, including the Tidewater region. Observing this animal go about its daily routine awakens a sense of mystery and intrigue in persons who appreciate the wonders of nature, yet at the same time generates an inner sense of peace and contentment.
Seahorses are amazing creatures that are unmatched in style and beauty. These aquatic “chess knights,” when viewed in an aquarium, or when spotted in the ocean while scuba diving, can bring endless hours of fascination and enjoyment to you and your family. Enjoy, but please be mindful of the fragility of nature.

Mary Syrett is a freelance writer and an avid student of nature.