Most Romantic Creatures

Seahorses: Worlds Most Romantic Created Species
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Two Potbelly seahorses holding tails at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga.
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If you need inspiration 4 luv , look no further. Seahorses
can teach humans many a lesson when it comes to courtship. They hold
hands, uh, tails, change colours, swim snout-to-snout and whirl around in
unison for days before engaging in a true courtship dance! that lasts
about eight hours. When one thing finally leads to another, it is the male
of the species that becomes pregnant and carries the offspring.
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Bright yellow seahorse found in the Turneffe Islands, Belize:
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Why seahorses spend so much time courting might shed light on certain,
ahem, bigger species courtship behaviours too: courting is a form of
synchronising of their movements so that both are prepared when the big
day comes. This is when the female is ready to deposit her
eggs in the male brood pouch which he has flashed before her during
courtship to prove its empty, as if to say no eggs here
This Malaysian pygmy seahorse (hippocampus bargibanti) proves that seahorses are masters of camouflage:



The eggs then hatch in the male seahorse¡¯s brood pouch for about two to
four weeks, depending on the species. The female does not withdraw at
this time, but visits her mate every morning to continue the courtship by
wheeling around, changing colour and holding her mate¡¯s tail. This
support fosters a monogamous relationship, at least during one
reproductive phase, that keeps the male motivated to nurture and the
female to continue producing eggs.
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Offspring survival rates are low: only about 5 of each 1,000 infants reach
maturity. This explains why seahorse litters can be large ¡§C from a few
dozen to hundreds to even 1,500. But seahorse babies¡¯ chances are still
better than that of many fish because of the incubation time in the
father¡¯s pouch, during which they are protected and receive ample
oxygen supply. The male seahorse, though not lactating, even produces
prolactin, the same hormone found in pregnant women.
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A pregnant male seahorse at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in
New Orleans:
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When ready to be born, the male seahorse experiences muscular
contractions and then expels the fry from his pouch, usually at night.
Once out, the young seahorses are on their own because seahorse
parents, like those of most other fish species, do not take care of their
offspring. How could they? They are busy preparing for the next batch of
eggs, which is ready by morning and has to be deposited within a few
hours, else they would go waste.
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Seahorse babies called fry:
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With this busy a schedule, it is good that there are reproductive time
out periods during which both male and female seahorses can regain
their strength, which they really need to do. The female¡¯s eggs make up
one third of her body weight, which the male then needs to receive and
provide nutrients for.
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Even the plainest seahorse is still fascinating:
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Why seahorse females produce eggs and the males are the ones who
give birth is still an area that requires much research. Says Heather Hall,
fish geneticist at the London Zoo, about seahorse research and visitors¡¯
reactions:
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This colourful fellow is not a stretched-out seahorse but a Dragonface
pipefish, a close relative of the seahorse:
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This should change soon as Hall is also the cofounder of Project
Seahorse, an international project furthering the study and conservation
of seahorses.


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