Seahorses: what they look like, what they eat, and how they reproduce. Seahorse, lesson notes How many years do seahorses live

Amazing creatures Sea Horses They are not at all like any other living beings on Earth; they look as if they came from somewhere on another planet. And from a biological point of view, they are noticeably different from all the others sea creatures, due to which they have long remained the focus of attention of scientists. Although they certainly look really funny, especially when they prance in the water.

Facts about seahorses

In these creatures, it is not the female, as usual, who bears the offspring, but the male. This is the only one Living being on the ground.
Seahorses got their name because of their visual resemblance to a knight, a chess piece.
The smallest species of seahorses reach only 2 centimeters in length, and the largest - up to 30.
They live only in warm tropical seas. Cold water disastrous for them.
Strictly speaking, seahorses are fish ().
The entire body of these fish is covered with spines. They serve both as camouflage and protection from predators, because seahorses do not know how to defend themselves.
The seahorse's closest biological relative is the pipefish. Scientists have concluded that they descend from a common ancestor.
In Chinese traditional medicine It is believed that eating skates helps strengthen male strength.
They are able to mimic like chameleons. By changing the color of their body, they blend in with the vegetation, thereby avoiding the attention of both predators and potential prey.
The dorsal fin of a seahorse makes up to 30-35 movements per second.
They all lead a very sedentary lifestyle, mainly due to their low movement speed. The slowest fish in the world is a tiny dwarf sea Horse, which can swim only 1.5-2 meters in an hour.
Seahorses do not have a stomach - incoming food is immediately digested and waste is eliminated, so they need to continuously feed throughout their lives, otherwise they will die of starvation.
Their eyes are able to simultaneously look at different sides. Few living creatures on Earth have this feature.
Contrary to his harmless-looking, all seahorses are predators. Staying motionless, they wait until prey is nearby, after which they grab it. Their victims are usually small crustaceans and shrimp ().
The first seahorses appeared on Earth at least 13 million years ago. This is precisely the age of their oldest fossilized remains discovered by paleontologists.
These amazing creatures monogamous. Having found a mate, they are not separated from their partner for the rest of their lives.
Seahorses do not do well in aquariums because they are stressed. Finding themselves in an unusual environment, they are constantly afraid, nervous and often refuse to eat, eventually dying from hunger and nervous exhaustion.
They live only in clear and calm water, but rocking, for example, in an aquarium on board a ship, can kill them.
When choosing a mate, the female seahorse always makes the decisive choice, not the male.
The male seahorse carries fertilized eggs in a special pocket, which his female places there, and then releases the already formed fry. Moreover, either 2-3 or 1000-1500 of them can be born - depending on your luck.
There are 32 species of seahorses in the world, but 30 of them are on the verge of extinction. The greatest danger to them is from humans - they are actively caught due to their unusual appearance in order to be turned into souvenirs.
Immediately after birth, tiny seahorse fry swim away from their parents, left to their own devices.
Seahorses sometimes travel on horseback large fish. They cling to their fins and leave their vehicle after reaching a suitable place such as a thicket of algae ().
According to scientists, only 1% of fry survive to adulthood.
In China, about 20 million seahorses are caught annually, and this is only official statistics without poaching.

It's hard to believe, but in ancient times seahorses were feared and considered chthonic creatures. The Chinese are confident that skates are coming back male strength, and Europeans decorate their aquariums with them.

Underwater chameleons

Unlike other inhabitants of the oceans and seas, seahorses swim upright and in pairs, often with their tails tied. At the same time, like chameleons, they avoid a few enemies, imitating the color of underwater plants.

The latter property is due to the fact that seahorses are incompetent swimmers. They have a small fin on their back that moves up to 35 times per second, and pectoral fins, which would be more correctly called rudders. And the dwarf seahorse is generally recognized as the slowest fish in the world. It moves at a speed of 1.5 meters per hour.

Good eaters

Seahorses have neither teeth nor a stomach. Their digestive system is like a ramjet engine, so they have to feed constantly to avoid starvation. As a rule, they cling to algae with their tenacious tails and suck up water from a distance of up to three centimeters, and at the same time simple food. Every day they consume three thousand or more brine shrimp (planktonic organisms). They also love tiny fish, carefully watching them. Interestingly, both eyes of skates can look in different directions, studying the environment.

A close relative is the needlefish

However, there are not so many people who want to feast on the seahorses themselves, except perhaps penguins, crabs, tuna, stingrays and some very hungry predators. The thing is that seahorses are very poorly digested due to excessive bonyness. Their numerous long spines and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths are also unpleasant to absorb. As genetic studies show, the ancestors of seahorses are the same needle-like progenitor from which the needle fish appeared. The split into two species occurred approximately 23 million years ago.

Non-stress resistant

The greatest danger for seahorses comes from strong rolling motion, which leads to exhaustion and complete loss of strength. They like it calm and clear water. Interestingly, these fish are very susceptible to stress. In an unusual environment, they die quickly enough, even if they have food. This is why they do not take root well in aquariums. Interestingly, seahorses are monogamous, are faithful partners and do not separate from each other throughout their lives. After the death of one of them, the widow or widower grieves greatly, which can even cause death.

The choice is up to the lady

The role of the male in choosing his mate is secondary. The female herself decides who should mate with her. Having seen a suitable candidate for a wife, she tests his passion for three days. She dances with him and rises to the surface of the water, only to sink to the bottom again. In the literature, this phenomenon is described as a “predawn dance.” This happens many times.

Future partners exchange clicking signals among themselves. The male's task is to keep up with his dancing girlfriend. If he fails, the bride looks for another groom. It is believed that this is how the female tests the strength of the male. If the choice is made, then the seahorses begin mating.

Pregnant dad

Seahorses are faithful partners and are never separated from each other throughout their lives. At the same time, the male himself bears his cubs, being the only creature on earth in which the so-called male pregnancy occurs.

The mating dance lasts eight hours and is accompanied by a change in color. During the mating process, the female transfers the eggs to her partner in the brood pouch on her abdomen. It is there that miniature seahorses are formed within 40-50 days. From 5 to 1500 fry can be born.

By the way, some scientists claim that the expression pregnant male is not true. The fact is that the responsibility of the “sea horse” is to protect the fertilized eggs. During this period, the female visits the male once a day for 6 minutes of “morning greeting”, and then swims away until the next morning. In captivity, this routine may be disrupted.

For good health

Before mature age Only one in a hundred fry survive. In fact, this figure is one of the highest for fish. IN Lately The greatest danger to seahorses is humans; in particular, about 20 million of these fish are caught annually by the Chinese for traditional medicine, primarily for the treatment of impotence.

It is also claimed that a decoction of them helps overcome nocturnal enuresis. Seahorses sell for an average of $600 to $3,000 per kilogram. There are cases when these dried fish were exchanged for gold by weight one to one. In addition to the Chinese, Indonesians and Filipinos also catch seahorses. As a result, almost all seahorse species are listed in the Red Book. And a species like the Paradoxical Seahorse is considered extinct.

The seahorse is a small fish, which is a representative of the Spine family from the order Stickleback. Research has shown that the seahorse is a highly modified pipefish. Today the seahorse is pretty rare creature. In this article you will find a description and photo of a seahorse and learn a lot of new and interesting things about this extraordinary creature.

The seahorse looks very unusual and its body shape resembles a chess piece of a horse. The seahorse fish has many long bony spines and various leathery projections on its body. Thanks to this body structure, the seahorse appears unnoticed among the algae and remains inaccessible to predators. The seahorse looks amazing, it has small fins, its eyes rotate independently of each other, and its tail is curled into a spiral. The seahorse looks diverse, because it can change the color of its scales.

The seahorse looks small, its size depends on the species and varies from 4 to 25 cm. In the water, the seahorse swims vertically, unlike other fish. This is due to the fact that the seahorse’s swim bladder consists of an abdominal and a head part. The head bladder is larger than the abdominal one, which allows the seahorse to maintain an upright position when swimming.

Now the seahorse is becoming increasingly rare and is on the verge of extinction due to a rapid decline in numbers. There are many reasons for the disappearance of the seahorse. The main one is the destruction by humans of both the fish itself and its habitats. Off the coast of Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, pipits are being caught en masse. The exotic appearance and bizarre body shape is the reason that people began to make gift souvenirs from them. For beauty, the tail is artificially arched and the body is given the shape of the letter “S”, but in nature skates do not look like that.

Another reason that contributes to the decline in the seahorse population is that they are a delicacy. Gourmets highly value the taste of these fish, especially the eyes and liver of seahorses. In a restaurant, the cost of one serving of such a dish costs $800.

In total, there are about 50 species of seahorses, 30 of which are already listed in the Red Book. Luckily, seahorses are very fertile and can produce over a thousand young at a time, keeping the seahorses from becoming extinct. Seahorses are bred in captivity, but this fish is very demanding to keep. One of the most extravagant seahorses is the rag-picker seahorse, which you can see in the photo below.

The seahorse lives in tropical and subtropical seas. The seahorse fish lives mainly at shallow depths or near the shore and leads a sedentary lifestyle. The seahorse lives in dense thickets of algae and other marine vegetation. It attaches itself to plant stems or corals with its flexible tail, remaining almost invisible due to its body covered with various projections and spines.

The seahorse fish changes body color to completely blend in with its environment. In this way, the seahorse successfully camouflages itself not only from predators, but also while foraging for food. The seahorse is very bony, so few people want to eat it. The main hunter of the seahorse is the large land crab. The seahorse can travel long distances. To do this, it attaches its tail to the fins of various fish and hangs on them until the “free taxi” swims into the algae thickets.

What do seahorses eat?

Seahorses eat crustaceans and shrimp. Seahorses eat very interestingly. The tubular stigma, like a pipette, draws prey into the mouth along with water. Seahorses eat quite a lot and hunt almost the whole day, taking short breaks of a couple of hours.

Seahorses eat about 3 thousand planktonic crustaceans per day. But seahorses eat almost any food, as long as it does not exceed the size of their mouth. The seahorse fish is a hunter. With its flexible tail, the seahorse clings to the algae and remains motionless until the prey is in the required proximity to the head. After which the seahorse absorbs water along with food.

How do seahorses reproduce?

Seahorses reproduce quite in an unusual way, because their fry is carried by the male. Seahorses often have monogamous pairs. Mating season seahorses are an amazing sight. A couple who are about to enter into a marriage union are held together by their tails and dance in the water. During the dance, the skates press against each other, after which the male opens a special pocket in the abdominal area, into which the female throws eggs. Subsequently, the male bears offspring for a month.

Seahorses reproduce quite frequently and produce large offspring. A seahorse gives birth to one thousand or more young at a time. The fry are born an absolute copy of the adults, only very tiny. The babies that are born are left to their own devices. In nature, a seahorse lives approximately 4-5 years.

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If you don't live near warm ocean or a water park you may not have seen seahorses or sea dragons to understand how amazing these tiny creatures are. Their long, elongated heads, like those of a horse, give them an almost mythical image. In reality, they are not immortal, and besides, many die during the storm. Sea “horses” hide with the help of excellent camouflage; long spines and ribbon-like outgrowths make them invisible in their natural environment. aquatic environment.

Seahorses range in size from 2 to 20 centimeters. Seahorses, like leafy sea dragons and pipefish, bear their young in special pouches where the female spawns. The burden of maternal care falls on. With such entertaining and interesting facts, as well as amazing photos of seahorses we invite you to familiarize yourself.

Seahorses (Hippocampus) are gentle and beautiful creatures got their names from the ancient Greek “hippo”, which means “horse” and “kampos” - “ sea monsters" The genus Hippocampus includes 54 species of marine fish.
The spotted seahorse in the photo is 15 centimeters long and lives up to four years.

A spectacular rainbow seahorse in Hamburg, Germany.

Leafy Sea Dragons at Georgia Aquarium. Sea “monsters” live off the southern coast of Australia and are masters of camouflage. Seemingly harmless, the sea dragon is a real predator - it feeds on small fish and shrimp.

The weedy sea dragon is endangered. With their small tubular snouts, relatives of seahorses suck up tiny prey, sometimes including various debris.

Leafy sea dragons at Birch Aquarium, San Diego, California. They can grow up to 35 cm in length. When the males are ready to mate, their leafy tails turn bright yellow.

Black Sea seahorse rare sight in shallow waters, Romania.

Leafy sea dragon in an aquarium, Atlanta. In nature they live in tropical coastal waters South and Western Australia.

Spiny seahorse(Hippocampus histrix) gets its name from the spines protruding from it. Usually lives in - from 3 to 80 meters. One of the largest species of seahorses and can grow up to 17 cm.

Seahorse at the Oregon Aquarium. Sea Horses are not good swimmers. The other is the only species of fish where the males carry unborn offspring.

Weed sea dragon near seaweed, Sydney, Australia. Brown algae and reefs provide them with good camouflage and protection from predators.

At first glance, seahorses appear to be pregnant, but they are not. Bellied seahorses(Hippocampus abdominalis) is a separate species and one of the largest, can reach a length of 35 cm.

The spiny seahorse, like most of its fellows, is in danger of extinction. Human appetite for exotic fish is growing, which is why skates have been added to the list of protected fish under the Convention on International Trade in Species. wild fauna and flora that are under threat of destruction.

Leafy sea dragons, like their relatives, are very weedy caring fathers. They bear their offspring on themselves. The fry that are born immediately become independent.

Pipefish another distant relative of seahorses. This creation has a longer, straight body with tiny mouths.

Another of the seahorse relatives at the Wilhelm Zoo, Germany.

Macro photographs of gray and yellow seahorses at Zurich Zoo. When eating or interacting with other relatives, these fish make a “clicking” sound.

Seem like there is love between them...

Leafy sea dragons dance at the Dallas Aquarium. The only working fins are on the chest and back, so sea dragons are not very fast - 150 meters per hour. Individuals were observed that spent up to 68 hours in one place.

A pygmy seahorse provides excellent camouflage against soft corals near Cebu, Philippines. Pygmies reach maximum length 2.4 cm. Residential zone from southern Japan to Northern Australia in reef areas at a depth of 10-40 meters.

Pipefish - Solenostomus paradoxus - off the coast of Thailand. Close relatives of seahorses come in a variety of colors and sizes, ranging from 2.5 to 50 cm.

Excellent camouflage.

Weed sea dragons close-up. Left: Shelly Beach weed dragon, Australia, right: eggs on male dragons.

Morning mating dances of seahorses.

The skinny body of the weed dragon “flies” through the water. Body sea dragon and its color develops based on environment, food products.

The skinny and toothless pipefish has a snake-like body.

Seahorses are voracious. The absence of a stomach and teeth forces them to constantly feed. In this regard, they consume up to 50 shrimp per day.

Before mating, the courtship ritual of seahorses lasts several days. Few couples stay together for life; most stay together only during the mating season.

Nature miracle.

Perfection of nature.

Close-up

Friendly family.

Schultz's pipefish - Corythoichthys schultzi - in Egypt.

Different types of seahorses and dragons.

Seahorses are the slowest sea fish.

Only 1% of fry grow to adulthood.

Seahorses are masters of camouflage.

The pygmy pipit is one of the smallest vertebrates in the world against a backdrop of soft corals.

Stunning shot: a kiss between lovers.

The beauty of a leafy sea dragon.

The needle family includes: seahorses, pipefish, leafy and weedy sea dragons.

Spiny seahorse.

The proud loneliness of a seahorse.

Close-up.

Curiosity.

The seahorse is an unusual animal that resembles a small magic horse ranging in size from 1.5 to 30 centimeters. It has family ties with needle fish. The inhabitant of salty tropical waters is also found off the coast of Eastern Canada and Great Britain. Some species exist in fresh waters. The sea dweller is of constant interest to children and adults.

Appearance

Sea Horse - Interesting Facts for children o appearance. Movement involves a small fin on the back, oscillating up to 35 times per second. Rowing with two gill fins maintains vertical balance. They are weak swimmers, isolated dwarf species They move at a speed of one and a half meters per hour. The up-and-down spiral movement ensures a change in the volume of the swim bladder.

They are able to change color depending on the surrounding plants, therefore they are invisible in the aquatic environment. The body is covered with a bony shell instead of scales. Like tropical birds, they have a rich color palette with stripes and specks. They are difficult to distinguish from corals.

Observation is carried out by a pair of eyes capable of looking in opposite directions.

Beautiful representatives of fish breathe with the help of gills, have a swim bladder located throughout the body, which makes it possible to position themselves vertically in the water space.

A peculiar tail helps to attach to the fins and make long journeys “astride” other fish.

Behavior

Interesting facts about seahorses - behavior. Due to the features digestive system They need constant nutrition, which enters the body with water. The food is not only plankton, crustaceans, shrimp, larvae, but also small fish. There are no teeth or stomach; absorption occurs through the proboscis. They do not chase prey, but patiently wait for it to swim, so for a comfortable life they need a small current.

Life expectancy is limited to 4-5 years, but they manage to leave millions of offspring.

They do not take root well in aquariums. The reason is an unusual environment, exposure to stress. They need a lot of small animals for food: more than 3 thousand crustaceans and shrimp per day. Without food they quickly die from exhaustion.

The female transfers the eggs from her body to a special pouch for the male. Thus, males bear offspring for 1.5 months. This is one of the few types when a dad rushes around with a child. The number of fry ranges from 1600 to 2 depending on the species. Once born, the cubs immediately set off on an independent journey.

The main enemies of the skate are crabs, penguins, stingrays and other hungry predators. Almost the entire body consists of bones, scales and spines. There are few people willing to feast on such prey.

Red Book

For several years, the unique fish has been a symbol of the naval power of the Northern Fleet. It was displayed on the coat of arms of Zaozersk, a city in Murmansk region. Then the image of the skate was replaced by a dolphin.

In the coastal waters of Russia there are 2 species of fish living in the Black, Azov and Japanese seas.

The Red Book contains 30 out of 32 species of animals. Their habitats are still polluted, and numerous jellyfish destroy the nutritious plankton. The reason for the mass catch is its beautiful appearance.

One in a hundred fry is able to grow to maturity. The causes of extinction are related to economic activity of people. The fish are caught by the Chinese, Filipinos, and Indonesians for pseudo-medicinal purposes (of course, these creatures cannot cure anyone) and for making souvenirs from dried exhibits.

Seahorse liver and eyes are considered a healthy delicacy and are served in expensive restaurants. Chinese cuisine offers fried skates on sticks.

These creatures are successfully bred in the zoos of Berlin, Stuttgart, Basel, the California Aquarium and the National Aquarium in Baltimore.