Reading

UNIQUE
UNDERWATER CREATURES
Seahorses ate beautiful and unusual fish that have captured the imagination
of writers and artists for millennia, and which feature in the ancient mythology,
legends and folkloæ of many countries. Seahorses SWn So magical that, to this
very day, many people still believe they only exist in children's stories. But the fact
is, these delicate and shy little creatures are very real!
Scientists believe seahorses evolved at least 40 million years ago, and have
survived from ancient times with only very small changes in their body structure and
function. Seahorses have a peculiar They have a head like a horse,a pouch like a
kangaroo, and a long, Curved tail like a monkey. Their little bodies are covered in bony
plates, not scales, and their tiny eyes resemble a chameleon's. Because of their 10
confusing anatomy, for many years, people didn't know whether seahorses were a
fish, an insect or a shellfish! Today, scientists know without a doubt that seahorses are
fish because they have gills, a swim bladder and fins.
Seahorses live mostly in shallow, warm waters. They are not Strong swimmers,
using only a back fin and a pair of tiny fins their eyes to push them through the 15
water. Seahorses spend a lot ot time attached to seaweed or sea grass. They are able
to on to sea grass and seaweed by wrapping their tails around the stems, which helps
them to avoid being swept away by strong currents. While they hang from sea grass,
their long, tube-like mouth, which has no teeth, acts like a hoover tor food,
sucking up plankton. Strangely, seahorses have no stomach so they can't store their 20
they have to eat fairly continuously throughout the day.
Another unique characteristic of seahorses is that they (along with theii cousins,
the pipefish) are the only creatures in the animal kingdom where the mate, not the
female, becomes pregnant and gives birth to babies! The female produces eggs and
places them in a pouch inside the male, where they are fertiliSed.The male gives birth
to, 25 bet%'een 5 and 200 young. Amazingly, just a few hours aner the male gives
birth, the female will once again place eggs in the male's pouch. What's more, it will be
the same female because seahorses mate for life!
 Sadly, seahorses are in danger all over the world. Their habitats an being
destroyed by human activities. Peopk catch seahorses Rts and for souvenirs. In Asia,
people 30 believe have rnagical pagers so they are used in ChilEe medicire. The most in
the "Mid is the Knysna Seahorse, which is only found in
South Africa. The reason it is in gme danger is that it -has an exceptionally limited
•distriurtion range — it is only found in three estuaries in the whole Of Smith Africa.
Unbs$ tese.estuaries am conserved, South Africa will lose its only for good. - L 35
Choose the best answer according to D when they want to
the text. Give reasons for your answers. travel tong distances,
What style is the text written in: formal
or informal? Give reasons. Check on p. Eating for seahorses
165. A is difficult as they
dorit have teeth.
1 Some people are
B takes up a lot Of their
convinced that seahorses
time.
A are too small and timid
to survive. C involves storing
plankton in their
B are imaginary Creatures. bodies,
C should feature in more D requires them to
children's stories, have the chow continuously,
ability to perform magic.
5 When it comes to
2 Scientists believe modern- reproduction, seahorses
day seahorses A look very
similar t&prehistoric A like to mate with
seahorses. as many different
B are abte to change their Seahorses as possible.
body structure. C may be B are the only fish
related to the chameleon, D where the males give
birth. C are pregnant
have poor eyesight.
more or less
3 Seahorses attach continuously.
themselves to Seaweed D give birth to very
and sea grass A in order to small numbers Of
eat it. young.
using their mouths and tails.
6 The Knysna seahorse
C to stay safe in rough waters.
 A is the rarest Of South Africa's three
seashores species,

B is used as medicine in some cultures.

C is found throughout South Africa.
D is in more danger than any other
seahorsespecies.
Find wordsorphrases in the text that
mean the opposite of:
• Ordinary (para A)
• eeep (para C)
• common (para D)
Find words in the text that mean:
• fragile (para A)
• strange (para B)
• non-stop (para C)
• pair off (para D) the time because they have to 7)
• most serious (para E) food. The
stomach male seahorse 8) birth to
babies, The ie,male 9) eggs in the
male's pouch. Seaiwses . for life,
a Complete the summary. Use these Unfortunately, they care in danger
words: curved, mate, bony, currents, because gecple them icr vets cr
gives, shallow, Store, catch. peculiar. souvenirs. The KnySna seahorse is in
lost, attach, places, grave. 12) ganger. we don't protect
it, this species will beA3) for good.
Seahorses are fish with a 1)
appearance. They have
a 2) tail and 3) plates.
They live in 4) warm waters
They can't swim weii so they S)
themselves to seaweed
so