HIPPOCAMPUS

Name: Madhav Goel

Course: B.Sc. Hons. Zoology
Roll No.: Z-1052
 Seahorse Facts
 Classification:
Common Name: Seahorse Colour: Multiple
Kingdom: Animalia
Favourite
Phylum: Chordata Scientific Name: Hippocampus Tiny Fish
Food:
Class: Actinopterygii Origin: Worldwide Shallow tropical
Order: Syngnathiformes Diet: Omnivore Habitat: waters and coral
Family: Syngnathidae reefs
Genus: Hippocampus Size (L): 2.5cm - 30cm Average
250
Clutch Size:
Water Type: Fresh, Brackish, Salt
Tiny Fish, Brine
Main Prey:
Shrimp, Plankton
Optimum pH Level: 7.9 - 8.4
Predators: Fish, Crabs, Rays
Lifespan: 2 - 6 years
Long snout and
Distinctive
Conservation brooding pouch on
Endangered Features:
Status: the male
Hippocampus’ exhibit sexual dimorphism.
As illustrated in the image above, the male seahorse
is larger and has a leathery pouch at the base of his
abdomen, that runs down toward the base of his tail.
The female seahorse on the other hand has a circular
abdomen with a defined stop and inward tick between
it and and the remainder of her tail.
 Seahorse. Seahorses are fishes. They live in water, breath through gills and have a swim
bladder. They do not have caudal fins and have a long snake-like tail. They also have a neck and
a snout that points down.
 Name. The Latin name for seahorse is Hippocampus which means “Horse Caterpillar”.
 Snout.
Seahorses have long thin snouts. When they find food they suck it up through their snouts like a
vacuum cleaner. Their snouts can expand if their prey Is larger than the snout. They are not able
to chew and have to disintegrate the food as they eat it.
 Diet. The seahorse is an omnivorous animal and the seahorse therefore eats a mixture of plant
and animal matter. The seahorse primarily feeds on brine shrimp, plankton,
tiny species of fish and algae. An adult eats 30-50 times a day. Seahorse fry eat a staggering
3000 pieces of food per day.
 Tail. Seahorses have a prehensile tail. This allows them to grip onto eel grass and other weeds
and prevents them from being washed away by strong currents and waves.
 Colour. Seahorses can change colour very quickly and match any surroundings in which it finds
itself. They have even been known to turn bright red to match floating debris.
Both males and females also change colour during their courtship display.
 Predators. Crustaceans such as crabs, fish and rays are all common predators of the seahorse
along with humans who harvest the seahorse for use in medicine.
 Body. Unlike most other fish, seahorses have an exo-skeleton. Their bodies are made up of hard,
external, bony plates that are fused together with a fleshy covering. They do not have scales.
 Eyesight. Seahorses have excellent eyesight and their eyes are able to work independently on
either side of their head. This means they can look forwards and backwards at the same time.
 Movement. Seahorses are poor swimmers. They rely on their dorsal fin beating at 30-70 times
per second to propel it along. Pectoral fins either side of the head help with stability and steering.
 Habitat. Seahorses live in shallow weedy areas especially eel grass beds. In winter they move
into deeper waters to escape the rough weather.
 Baby Seahorses. Baby seahorses are known as fry, when they are born they are on their own.
They spend the first two to three weeks of their lives drifting along in the plankton layer of the
ocean. Less than one in a thousand will survive long enough to become an adult due to predators.
 Species. There are about 54 species of seahorses worldwide, and possibly as many sub-
species. It is often difficult for scientists to identify seahorses because individuals of the same
species can vary greatly in appearance. New species continue to be found.
 Threats. The seahorse is a highly endangered animal mainly due to habitat loss and over-
hunting. The seahorse is a popular ingredient in medicine (mainly in the far east), and hundreds to
thousands of seahorse are harvested every year for this purpose.
Dried sea horses in a shop in Hong Kong.
 Reproduction
 The reproductive behaviour of sea horses is notable in that the male carries the
fertilized eggs.
 Courtship. Seahorses pair for life. They meet first thing in the morning to reinforce their
pair bonding with an elaborate courtship display. The female meets the male in his
territory and as they approach each other, they change colour. The male circles around
the female and the pair often spiral around an object. This display can last for up to an
hour. Once over the female goes back to her territory.
 After an elaborate courtship, the female uses an ovipositor (egg duct) to place her eggs
into a brood pouch located at the base of the male’s tail where the eggs are later
fertilized. Depending on the species, the eggs remain in the pouch between 10 days and
6 weeks.
 Once the eggs hatch, the male convulses his body and expels the young through a single
opening in the pouch. The young are miniature versions of their parents that receive no
further care. The male can receive another brood of eggs almost immediately after giving
birth.