Seahorse Habitat

Both children and elderly, love watching a seahorse because of its unusual appearance and movement. As the name suggests, it looks like a horse, but is a fish. Where do seahorses live? What do they eat? The following section contains information on seahorse habitat, their strange sexual life and their amazing lifestyle.

Seahorse Facts and Information

• Seahorse, the unique fish species belongs to the genus Hippocampus wherein hippos stand for 'horse' and campus for 'sea monster'. More than 30 species of the fish have been identified by the scientists.
• The lower part of the body of a seahorse is composed of a curly tail which is used for various purposes and the upper torso looks like a horse. Their tail resembles tail of a monkey.
• Seahorses do not have scales on their body like other fish. Instead, they have bony plates that are present in the form of rings. Their outer skeleton is hard and similar to that of an insect.
• Every seahorse has a unique crown like structure on its head. Like the giraffe patches, zebra stripes, or the human fingerprints, no two seahorses have identical coronets on their heads.
• Every eye of a seahorse moves on its own. Both eyes do not move together. This type of eye movement is seen in chameleons. Moreover, seahorses can change color like chameleons.
• They can be two inches to one foot long, but the average length of a seahorse is six inches. Very few of them are as large as two feet.
• They have an armored body and a flexible neck. With the slender tail which curves forwards, they keep themselves attached to seaweeds or other objects while resting in the shallow waters of the oceans. This protects them from being swept away by currents.
• They do not have teeth and caudal fins. They have gills in the form of small rounded lobes. Their fins are regenerated when damaged.
• They are so romantic that the mating takes place under a full moon! And they sing while mating (musical sounds are uttered).
• One of the astonishing facts about seahorses is that the female deposits eggs in the pouch of a male and he fertilizes the eggs!

Seahorse Habitat

Seahorses are mostly found between the latitudes 45 degrees south to 45 degrees north because they prefer warmer waters. Most of the seahorses live in the Indo-Australian region. They are also found near the Atlantic coasts of Europe, Africa and North America. Hardly two species of seahorses are found in the pacific coast of America. Seahorses are thus widely distributed. They wander freely in the sea-grasses and mangroves. They find themselves comfortable in coral reefs in shallow warm waters, because they are poor swimmers. They prefer sheltered areas as they can hide behind these shelters safely. They can remain still when they see a predator. They are masters of camouflaging. They change their colors according to the surrounding habitat. They look like the plants amongst which they live. Their advanced defense system makes them undetectable.

Their undulant motion is controlled by only one dorsal fin they have. The pectoral fins help in turning. To remain stationary, they need plants, grass or coral reefs around them. They need something to attach themselves. As they do not have teeth and stomach, the ingested food passes through their digestive systems very quickly. Because of quick digestion, they need to eat constantly to survive. Their food includes small things like daphnia, cyclops, larvae or mysis. They eat tiny planktonic crustaceans like copepods and baby fish. Ingestion of water promotes digestion. Seahorses in the wild have only one life partner. A two week old seahorse requires 3000 to 4000 brine shrimp per day.

More studies are required to know details about seahorses. Some studies show that their population is diminishing, mainly in the waters around southern Asia. About 36 countries are involved in trading of sea horses. Because of their unique structure, they are one of the most sought after pets. Some countries use them to make traditional medicines. The figures are really shocking. It is estimated that 20 million seahorses are traded each year for medicinal purposes or for being sold as aquarium pets. Many are used as curios (dried seahorses are used to make for key rings, earrings, brooches, etc.). Researchers inform that more than half of the seahorses in the world have been destroyed by human beings during past five years. It is believed that they can cure asthma, heart diseases, and many other disorders. People believe that they are aphrodisiac. We should not forget that it is our duty to preserve seahorse habitat and protect the unique species.