Amazing creatures seahorses are unlike any other living creatures on Earth, they look like they came from another planet. Yes, and from the point of view of biology, they are noticeably different from all other marine life, due to which they have long been the focus of attention of scientists. Although they certainly look really funny, especially when they prance in the water.
Interesting facts about seahorses
- In these creatures, it is not the female, as usual, who bears the offspring, but the male. It is the only such living creature on earth.
- Seahorses got their name because of the visual resemblance to a horse, a chess piece.
- The smallest types of seahorses reach only 2 centimeters in length, and the largest – up to 30.
- They live only in warm tropical seas. Cold water is fatal for them.
- Strictly speaking, seahorses are fish (interesting facts about fish).
- The whole body of these fish is covered with spikes. They serve as both camouflage and protection from predators, because seahorses do not know how to defend themselves.
- The closest biological relative of the seahorse is the pipefish. Scientists have come to the conclusion that they come from a common ancestor.
- In Chinese traditional medicine, eating skates is believed to enhance male strength.
- They are able to mimic like chameleons. By changing the color of their body, they merge 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 the low speed of movement. The slowest fish in the world is the tiny pygmy seahorse, which can swim only 1.5-2 meters in an hour.
- Seahorses do not have a stomach – incoming food is immediately absorbed, and waste is removed, so they need to continuously eat for a lifetime, otherwise they will die of hunger.
- Their eyes are able to look in different directions at the same time. Few living creatures on Earth have this feature.
- Despite their harmless appearance, all seahorses are predators. Being immobile, they wait until the prey is nearby, after which they grab it. Their victims are usually small crustaceans and shrimp (interesting facts about shrimp).
- The first seahorses appeared on Earth at least 13 million years ago. This is exactly the age of their oldest fossilized remains discovered by paleontologists.
- These amazing creatures are monogamous. Having found a mate for themselves, they are not separated from a partner all their lives.
- Seahorses do not do well in aquariums because they are stressed. Once in an unfamiliar environment, they are constantly afraid, nervous and often refuse to eat, eventually dying of hunger and nervous exhaustion.
- They live only in clear and calm water, but the pitching, for example, in an aquarium on board a ship, can kill them.
- When choosing a mate, the decisive choice is always made by the female seahorse, 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. And they can be born as 2-3, and 1000-1500 – as lucky.
- In total, there are 32 species of seahorses in the world, but 30 of them are on the verge of extinction. The greatest danger for them is a person – they are actively caught because of their unusual appearance in order to turn them into souvenirs.
- Immediately after birth, tiny seahorse fry swim away from their parents.
- Seahorses sometimes travel astride larger fish. They cling to their fins, and leave their vehicle after reaching a place suitable for them like a kelp patch (interesting facts about 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 taking into account poaching.