Picture a creature that resembles a horse, yet swims through the sea with grace and stealth. Welcome to the world of seahorses, one of the ocean’s most captivating inhabitants. With their intricate beauty and vital role in marine ecosystems, seahorses capture the imagination of both scientists and sea lovers alike. Let’s dive into their fascinating world.
The only fish to swim upright, seahorses are terrible swimmers but can hold onto seagrass or coral. They have intestines, but no stomach or teeth and most meet life partners every few weeks to perform a dance that lasts up to 9 hours. And it’s the males who become pregnant!
The Seahorse Trust is our national charity with lots of ways on how to help including a page for divers (swimming nearby, photography etc).
Anatomy of Seahorses
Seahorses boast a horse-like head, but their connection to the equine ends there. Their elongated bodies curve into an “S” shape, topped with a prehensile tail. This tail functions much like a monkey’s, enabling them to cling to sea grasses and corals. Ever noticed their skin? It’s made of bony plates instead of scales, offering both protection and flexibility. Unlike many fish, seahorses lack a caudal fin, making them weak swimmers who rely on their dorsal fins to flutter through water.
Arguably, seahorses are the masters of disguise. Their ability to change colour lets them merge seamlessly into surrounding sea plants. This camouflage is essential for dodging predators and catching prey. Ever seen a seahorse playing hide-and-seek in plain sight?
When seahorses fall in love, they do it with flair. During the courtship dance, partners mirror each other’s movements, swimming side by side and entwining tails. This dance can last several days, culminating in the exchange of eggs. It’s less tango and more a gentle waltz through the aquatic ballroom.
Here’s where seahorses break the mould. The males take on the extraordinary role of pregnancy. After the courtship, the female transfers her eggs into the male’s brood pouch. He fertilises and carries them until they’re ready to hatch. It’s an aquatic twist challenging traditional gender roles.
Habitat and Distribution
From the chilly coasts of the UK to the sunlit tropics of Australia, seahorses inhabit oceans worldwide. Whether in temperate or tropical seas, they adapt to diverse climates. They’re true globetrotters of the deep.
Seahorses prefer habitats that offer plenty of hiding spots. They thrive in seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangroves. These environments provide both food and protection, crucial for their leisurely lifestyle. It’s like living in a natural, protective mansion under the sea.
Human activities cast a long shadow over seahorse populations. Habitat destruction, fishing, and pollution have taken a toll. Seahorses are often caught unintentionally in fishing nets, while pollution degrades their intricate homes. Is it any wonder their numbers are dwindling?
Thankfully, efforts to protect seahorses are gaining momentum. Conservation projects strive to preserve their natural habitats and promote sustainable fishing. By raising awareness and enforcing protection laws, we can help secure a brighter future for these remarkable creatures.
How We Can All Help Seahorses
- Around 70 million seahorses are caught by the fishing trade each year, mostly from bottom trawling that drags large weighted nets across the ocean floor, catching all marine life in its path, and wrecking ocean habitats. If you eat fish, avoid fisheries that use by-catch methods.
- Seahorses are at great risk from boat anchors. Advanced mooring systems has developed an alternative to boat anchors that is safer for seagrass beds and marine wildlife.
- Seahorses tend to float in the sea and attach themselves to whatever they see. One photo went viral of a seahorse hanging on to a plastic cotton bud. This alerted the world, which is now why shops sell paper-based buds.
- More seahorses are caught to supply aquariums (where seahorses can die of shock from photography flash) and traditional medicine. The answers are simple: don’t visit aquariums or buy traditional medicine, if you don’t know the source.
- Don’t buy seahorses (or any seaside) souvenirs, often sold alongside shells and shark teeth. All of these ‘mementos’ cause death and harm to millions of creatures worldwide (you should not even take pebbles from beaches as it affects ecosystems, illegal in Italy)
- As above, divers should not use flash photography around seahorses, as the stress can kill them within weeks. Never touch a seahorse (nor hover nearby).
A Book about Mysterious Seahorses
The Curious World of Seahorses is a book that looks at one of the ocean’s most charismatic and mysterious inhabitants. One marine biologist says ‘When God created the seahorse, he may have had one too many’. Of all the ocean creatures, there are none more charming and strange than seahorses. Masters of disguise and graceful dancers, seahorses are found in seagrass meadows and mangroves, and have pouches like kangaroo, long snouts (like anteaters) and crowns as unique as fingerprints.
In this informative and entertaining book, science writer Till Hein shares the world of seahorses, revealing their secrets and biological features along to the medieval belief that they are descended from dragons. This charming and fascinating book will captivate readers who wish to learn more about one of the planet’s most incredible creatures.
The slowest swimming, yet most effective hunters in the ocean? Check. Eyes that can move separately from each other, fin colour that changes on demand, and a digestive system with no stomach? Check. A tail that is strong enough to latch onto an anchor, and withstand a predator’s grab? Check. This book is a treasure trove of everything about these remarkable creatures. Wendy Wasserman
