The seahorse whose scientific name is the hippocampus (which is gotten from ancient Greek) is a type of omnivorous fish with about 36 species. It is 0.6 to 14 inches long and is mostly found in shallow waters. It has an exoskeleton and a unique appearance with the horse like head which is where it got its name from, the prehensile and curved tail and a brood pouch without scales.
Seahorses are almost immobile as they swim very slowly in a vertical position different from* item* item* item the normal horizontal position of other fishes. They rely on the dorsal fins 4 movement and the pectoral fins on each side of the head for stability and steering.
They have very great camouflage abilities which they use to avoid predators or ambush prey which mostly involves smaller fishes and organisms which they are able to spot easily because of their amazing eyesight with each eye able to work independently on each side of the head . An adult seahorse eats about 30-50 times a day.
pregnant male seahorses
Seahorses have reproductive behaviour different from that of others fishes. The females use the egg duct called the ovipositor to place the eggs into the brood pouch at the Base of the male's tail where the eggs later fertilize between 10 days to 6 weeks. The male is also responsible for nurturing the young. When the eggs hatch the male goes into convulsion to expel the new borns from its body. As the young are born,they immediately begin to cater for themselves as they are just smaller version of their parents. While the male seahorses on the other hand can receive a fresh batch of eggs immediately after giving bitch. Amazing right?.