Seahorse according to feeding method. Seahorse animal: description with photos and videos, interesting facts, dimensions

Seahorses have always surprised people with their unusual appearance. These amazing fish are one of the most ancient inhabitants of the seas and oceans. The first representatives of this fish species appeared approximately forty million years ago. They got their name because of their resemblance to the chess piece knight.

The structure of seahorses

The fish are small in size. Most major representative This species has a body length of 30 centimeters and is considered a giant. Most of seahorses has modest dimensions 10–12 centimeters.

There are also very miniature representatives of this species - dwarf fish. Their dimensions are only 13 millimeters. There are individuals measuring less than 3 millimeters.

As mentioned above, the name of these fish is determined by their appearance. In general, it is not easy to understand that this is a fish and not an animal at first glance, because the seahorse bears little resemblance to other inhabitants of the sea.

If in the vast majority of fish the main parts of the body are located in a straight line located in a horizontal plane, then in seahorses the opposite is true. They have basic body parts located in a vertical plane, and the head is at right angles to the body.

To date, scientists have described 32 species of these fish. All pipits prefer to live in shallow waters in warm seas. Since these fish are quite slow-moving, they value most coral reefs and coastal bottom, overgrown with algae, because there you can hide from enemies.

Seahorses swim very unusually. Their body stays vertical in the water while moving. This position is ensured by two swim bladders. The first is located along the entire body, and the second in the head area.

Moreover, the second bladder is much lighter than the abdominal one, which provides the fish vertical position in water when moving. In the water column, fish move due to the wave-like movements of their dorsal and pectoral fins. The vibration frequency of the fins is seventy beats per minute.

Seahorses also differ from most fish in that they do not have scales. Their body cover the bone plates, combined into belts. Such protection is quite heavy, but this weight does not in the least prevent the fish from floating freely in the water.

In addition, bone plates covered with spines serve as good protection. Their strength is so great that it is very difficult for a person to break even a dried skate shell with his hands.

Despite the fact that the seahorse's head is located at an angle of 90⁰ to the body, the fish can only move it in a vertical plane. In the horizontal plane, head movements are impossible. However, this does not create any review problems.

The fact is that this fish's eyes are not connected to each other. The horse can look with its eyes in different directions at the same time, so it is always aware of changes in the environment.

The seahorse's tail is very unusual. He twisted and very flexible. With its help, the fish clings to corals and algae when hiding.

At first glance, it seems that seahorses should not have survived the harsh sea ​​conditions: They slow and defenseless. In fact, the fish flourished until a certain time. The ability to mimicry helped them in this.

Evolutionary processes have led to the fact that seahorses can easily blend into the surrounding area. At the same time, they can change the color of their body either completely or partially. This is quite enough to sea ​​predators could not notice the skates if they hid.

By the way, these sea inhabitants use the ability to change the color of their body in mating games. With the help of the “color music” of the body, males attract females.

Most people believe that these fish eat vegetation. This is a misconception. In fact, these sea fish, for all their seeming harmlessness and inactivity, are notorious predators. The basis of their diet is plankton. Artemia and shrimp- their favorite delicacy.

If you carefully examine the elongated snout of the skate, you will notice that it ends in a mouth that acts like a pipette. As soon as the fish notices the prey, it turns its mouth towards it and puffs out its cheeks. In fact, the fish sucks in its prey.

It is worth noting that these sea ​​fish quite gluttonous. They can hunt for 10 hours straight. During this time they destroy up to 3,500 crustaceans. And this is with a stigma length of no more than 1 millimeter.

Reproduction of skates

Seahorses are monogamous. If a couple has formed, it will not break up until the death of one of the partners, which is not uncommon in the living world. But what's really surprising is this birth of offspring by males, not females.

This happens as follows. During love games The female, using a special papilla, introduces eggs into the male's brood pouch. Fertilization also occurs there. Then, males bear offspring for 20 and sometimes 40 days.

After this period, the already grown fry are born. The offspring are very similar to the parents, but the body of the fry transparent and colorless.

It is noteworthy that males continue to care for their offspring for some time after birth, which, however, very quickly becomes independent.

Keeping seahorses in an aquarium

You should know that these fish cannot be kept in a regular aquarium. Skates need special conditions to survive:

Do not forget that these fish are quite dirty, so the water in the aquarium must be well filtered.

As you remember, skates in nature like to hide from predators in algae and coral reefs. This means that you need to create similar conditions for them in the aquarium. To do this, you can use the following elements:

• Artificial corals.
• Seaweed.
• Artificial grottoes.
• Various stones.

An important requirement is that all elements should not have sharp edges that could damage the skates.

Feeding requirements

Since in nature these fish feed on crustaceans and shrimp, you will have to buy frozen Mysis shrimp for your pets. You need to feed the skates in the aquarium at least twice a day. Once a week you can pamper them with live food:

• krill;
• Artemia;
• live shrimp.

Seahorses cannot compete for food with aggressive fish. Therefore, the choice of comrades for them is limited. Mainly snails different types : astrea, turbo, nerite, trochus, etc. You can also add a blue hermit crab to them.

In conclusion, we will give one piece of advice: get all the information you have about these sea ​​creatures, before starting your first pack.

Seahorses belong to the genus of small ray-finned fish of the needle family and live in tropical seas in shallow waters. Based on the research, it was found that they are relatives of needle fish, although they look completely different in appearance. The first representatives appeared many millions of years ago. The body shape of these extraordinary creatures resembles a chess piece of a knight, which is how they got their name.

Appearance and structural features

According to the existing theory, seahorses appeared due to the emergence of large areas of shallow water. Extensive shallows led to the proliferation of algae, and, as a result, animals that inhabited this environment.

This type of fish is small in size:

• large representatives - body length reaches 28-30 cm, which makes them giants.
• average- about 10-12 cm.
• miniature- body sizes vary from 4 to 13 mm.

The seahorse is not much like other inhabitants of the sea. Its swim bladder consists of the abdominal and head parts, while in the head area it is larger, which determines its vertical movement, unlike other fish that swim horizontally. The creation is based on the float principle: top part The body is much lighter than the lower one, so the head is at the top.

These unique creatures have a large number of bone spines, forming very strong prickly armor, as well as leathery growths on their body, thanks to which they are perfectly camouflaged and remain inaccessible to predators. The mouth is tubular, the tail is curled into a spiral, which helps cling to algae and corals, and the eyes rotate independently of each other.

They easily change color, imitating the color of underwater plants and merging with the surrounding area. They can change color either entirely or partially. The predominant shade is yellow, and the change in brightness of the color depends on the mood, environment and even from stress.

In the water column, seahorses move due to the motor activity of the dorsal and pectoral fins: the small fan-shaped one is necessary for moving forward, and the pectoral ones help maintain vertical balance and control their own activity.

Fish habitat and nutrition

To date, about 50 species of seahorses have been described, more than half of which are listed in the Red Book. They live in tropical and subtropical coastal waters. About six species of fish were discovered in the Red Sea, and in the seas washing the shores of Russia, two types are found - the Black Sea and the Japanese. Their main habitat is the coastal waters of Italy and the Canary Islands.

These creatures lead a sedentary lifestyle and can be found mainly in dense thickets of algae and other marine vegetation. The seahorse is capable of traveling long distances by clinging with its tail to the fins of fish and waiting until they begin to swim through thickets of algae.

These cute and seemingly harmless creatures are predators. The basis of their diet consists of crustaceans, shrimp and plankton. Their way of eating is quite interesting. Having caught its tail in the algae, the seahorse remains motionless, waiting for prey. Having noticed a shrimp, the fish turns its tubular snout towards it and puffs out its cheeks, pulling the victim into its mouth along with the water. They are able to do this even from a distance of 3 cm.

Seahorses eat quite a lot and can hunt throughout the day, taking only short breaks. Approximately 3-4 thousand crustaceans are eaten per day.

Ritual greetings and reproduction

These amazing creatures are monogamous, and if a couple is formed, it will not break up until the death of one of the partners. They reproduce differently than other animals.

Uniquely, in seahorses, future offspring are carried by males, not females.

The mating season of these animals is an amazing sight. In the morning, males perform ritual greetings, which involve circling around the chosen one. Thus, they demonstrate that they are ready to reproduce. The female reacts to this behavior of the male by starting to spin around herself without moving from her place. This ritual is repeated every morning and becomes longer as mating approaches.

For this to become possible, the female and male must mature simultaneously.

1. During the next greeting ritual, the female heads upward, and the male moves behind her.
2. Her ovipositor is clearly visible, and his pouch opens wide.
3. The female lays eggs in the wide opening of the pouch using a special papilla until it is completely filled.
4. The number of eggs can reach more than six hundred, which depends on the type of fish and its size.

The male carries his future offspring for a month. After this period, slightly grown fry are born. They are born an absolute copy of their parents, but their body is colorless and transparent. After birth, the fish are left to their own devices. In nature they live for about 4-5 years.

It happens that one of the partners is not ready to mate. In this case, spawning is interrupted and the whole process resumes again. The male's readiness is determined by the changes that occur inside the pocket: the skin becomes like a sponge filled with blood vessels. This is very important for the proper development of the eggs.

Features of keeping in an aquarium

Seahorses are vulnerable and fragile creatures that need comfortable conditions for existence. Having decided to purchase such unique residents for your aquarium, first of all you should prepare a new container for them. Having introduced them into a used aquarium, the fish may encounter numerous limiting factors that they will not be able to cope with. The vertical space must be large and be at least 450 m.

Other important points to consider:

Water temperature	To support the life of seahorses, the water temperature should vary between 21-23 degrees, which is lower than the temperature for most aquarium fish
Capacity volume	The aquarium should hold 140-150 liters. At the bottom it is necessary to place several snags for them to cling to with their tail. Potentially dangerous creatures or objects should be avoided in the container, for example, it is not recommended to place corals, as they can harm the fish
Current speed	Constant water flow - one of the main requirements. This can be achieved using a high-quality filter. It is necessary to monitor the flow speed, which should be about 10 revolutions per hour. Exceeding the indicator will weaken and lead to exhaustion of fragile animals that will be forced to constantly resist the flow
Aquarium cleanliness	As a result of the vigorous activity of seahorses and the digestion of large amounts of food, the liquid in the aquarium is constantly polluted. Attention should be paid to both mechanical and biological cleaning of the container
Neighborhood	Due to their extreme slowness, living with active fish can be a challenge for them. Extraordinary creatures will be forced to be in constant stress which will harm their health. It is recommended to place seahorses with calm and peaceful neighbors, for example, blennies, snails or hermit crabs

In addition to their amazing body shape, seahorses can boast of some other features and distinctive features. The following can be distinguished Interesting Facts about these extraordinary creatures:

• Seahorses have no teeth or stomach; food is instantly digested and waste is removed. In order not to die of hunger, they need to continuously feed.
• These fish are extremely stressed. They can die quite quickly in an environment that is unusual for them, even if there is no shortage of food. They like calm and clear water. Strong rolling represents for these sea animals great danger because it leads to exhaustion.
• Seahorses are monogamous and loyal partners. After the death of one of them, the other begins to grieve heavily, which can lead to his death.
• The female decides who exactly will be her mate. To do this, she tests a suitable candidate for several days, intertwining with him in a dance, rising to the surface of the water and then sinking to the bottom. The male must not lag behind the chosen one, otherwise she will go in search of another groom. If the chosen one managed to pass the strength test, the partners begin mating.
• The dorsal fin of these fish makes up to 35 movements per second.
• They lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is caused by their low speed of movement. The pygmy seahorse can swim only about 2 meters in an hour, making it the slowest fish in the world.
• Their body is covered with strong bone plates that protect them from many dangers. Even after the death of the fish, it is very difficult to break this armor.

Almost all species of seahorses are listed in the Red Book. According to statistics, up to mature age Only 1-2% of the fry survive. The greatest danger to these fish is people, who catch about 20 million per year. The Chinese believe that eating the creatures improves male strength, and a serving of cooked seahorses in a restaurant costs about $800.

The very appearance of these fish evokes pleasant associations with childhood, toys and fairy tales.

The horse swims in an upright position and tilts its head so gracefully that, looking at it, it is impossible not to compare it with some small magical horse.

It is covered not with scales, but with bone plates. However, in his shell he is so light and fast that he literally floats in the water, and his body shimmers with all colors - from orange to dove-blue, from lemon yellow to fiery red. Judging by the brightness of its colors, this fish can be compared with tropical birds.

Seahorses inhabit the coastal waters of tropical and subtropical seas. But they are also found in the North Sea, for example, near south coast England. They choose quieter places; They don't like the turbulent current.

Among them there are dwarfs the size of a little finger, and there are giants about thirty centimeters. The smallest species - Hippocampus zosterae (dwarf seahorse) - is found in Gulf of Mexico. Its length does not exceed four centimeters, and the body is very hardy.

In Black and Mediterranean seas You can find the long-faced, spotted Hippocampus guttulatus, whose length reaches 12-18 centimeters. The most famous are representatives of the species Hippocampus kuda, which lives off the coast of Indonesia. Seahorses of this species (their length is 14 centimeters) are brightly and variegatedly colored, some with specks, others with stripes. The largest seahorses are found near Australia.

Whether they are dwarfs or giants, seahorses look alike like brothers: a trusting look, capricious lips and an elongated “horse” muzzle. Their tail is curved towards the belly, and their head is decorated with horns. It is impossible to confuse these graceful and colorful fish, which look like jewelry or toys, with any inhabitant of the water element.

How does pregnancy proceed in males?

Even now, zoologists find it difficult to say how many species of seahorses there are. Possibly 30-32 species, although this figure is subject to change. The fact is that seahorses are difficult to classify. Their appearance is too changeable. And they know how to hide in such a way that a needle thrown into a haystack would be jealous.

When Amanda Vincent of Montreal's McGill University began studying seahorses in the late 1980s, she was frustrated: "At first I couldn't even notice the little ones." Masters of mimicry, in a moment of danger they change their color, repeating the color of surrounding objects. Therefore, they are easily mistaken for algae. Many seahorses, like gutta-percha dolls, can even change their body shape. They develop small growths and nodules. Some seahorses can be difficult to distinguish from corals.

This plasticity, this “color music” of the body helps them not only fool their enemies, but also seduce their partners. German zoologist Ruediger Verhasselt shares his observations: “I had a pink-red male in my aquarium. I placed a bright yellow female with red speckles next to him. The male began to look after the new fish and after a few days it turned the same color as it - even red specks appeared.”

To watch enthusiastic pantomimes and colorful confessions, you need to go underwater early in the morning. Only in the pre-dawn twilight (however, sometimes in the sunset hours) seahorses wander in pairs through the underwater thickets of algae, this sea jungle. In their confessions, they follow a funny etiquette: they nod their heads, greeting their friend, while clinging to neighboring plants with their tails. Sometimes they freeze when they come together in a “kiss.” Or they whirl around in a stormy love dance, and the males constantly inflate their bellies.

The date is over - and the fish swim away to the sides. Adju! Until next time! Seahorses usually live in monogamous pairs, loving each other to the death, which they often have in the form of nets. After the death of a partner, his half misses him, but after a few days or weeks he finds a partner again. Seahorses housed in an aquarium are particularly affected by the loss of a partner. And it happens that they die one after another, unable to bear the grief.

What is the secret of such affection? Kindred spirits? Here's how biologists explain it: By regularly walking and petting each other, seahorses synchronize their biological clocks. This helps them choose the most appropriate moment for procreation. Then their meeting drags on for several hours, or even days. They glow with excitement and spin in a dance in which, as we remember, the males inflate their bellies. It turns out that the male has a wide fold on his stomach where the female lays her eggs.

Surprisingly, in seahorses the offspring is carried by the male, having previously fertilized the eggs in the abdominal pouch.

But such behavior is not as exotic as it might seem. There are also other species of fish, for example, cichlids, in which the eggs are hatched by males. But only in seahorses do we deal with a process similar to pregnancy. Fabric on inside The brood pouch in the male thickens, as in the uterus of mammals. This tissue becomes a kind of placenta; it connects the father's body with the embryos and nourishes them. This process is controlled by the hormone prolactin, which stimulates lactation in humans - the formation of mother's milk.

With the onset of pregnancy, walks in underwater forests stop. The male stays in an area of ​​about one square meter. In order not to compete with him in obtaining food, the female delicately swims to the side.

After a month and a half, “birth” occurs. The seahorse presses against the seaweed stalk and inflates its belly again. Sometimes a whole day passes before the first fry slips out of the bag and into the wild. Then the young will begin to emerge in pairs, faster and faster, and soon the bag will expand so much that dozens of fry will swim out of it at the same time. The number of newborns varies among species: some seahorses hatch up to 1,600 babies, while others give birth to only two fry.

Sometimes the “birth” is so difficult that the males die from exhaustion. In addition, if for some reason the embryos die, then the male who carried them will also die.

Evolution cannot explain the origin of the seahorse's reproductive functions. The whole process of childbearing is too “unorthodox”. Indeed, the structure of the seahorse appears to be a mystery if you try to explain it as a result of evolution. As one leading expert said several years ago: “In terms of evolution, the seahorse is in the same category as the platypus. Because he is a mystery that confuses and destroys all theories trying to explain the origin of this fish! Recognize the Divine Creator, and everything will be explained.”

What do seahorses do if they're not flirting or expecting offspring? One thing is certain: they do not shine with success in swimming, which is not surprising given their constitution. They have; only three small fins: the dorsal one helps to swim forward, and two gill fins maintain vertical balance and serve as a rudder. In a moment of danger, seahorses can briefly speed up their movement, flapping their fins up to 35 times per second (some scientists even call the number “70”). They are much better at vertical maneuvers. By changing the volume of the swim bladder, these fish move up and down in a spiral.

However, most of the time the seahorse hangs motionless in the water, its tail hooked on algae, coral, or even the neck of a relative. It looks like he's ready to hang around all day. However, despite his apparent laziness, he manages to catch a lot of prey - tiny crustaceans and fry. Only recently was it possible to observe how this happens.

The seahorse does not rush after prey, but waits until it swims to it. Then he draws in water, swallowing the careless small fry. Everything happens so quickly that the naked eye cannot notice it. However, scuba diving enthusiasts say that when approaching a seahorse, you sometimes hear the sound of smacking. The appetite of this fish is amazing: as soon as it is born, the seahorse manages to swallow about four thousand miniature shrimp in the first ten hours of life.

In total, he is destined to live, if he’s lucky, four to five years. Enough time to leave behind millions of descendants. It seems that with such numbers, seahorses are assured of prosperity. However, it is not. Out of a thousand fry, on average, only two survive. All the rest themselves fall into someone's mouth. However, in this whirlwind of births and deaths, seahorses have been staying afloat for forty million years. Only human intervention can destroy this species.

According to the message World Fund wildlife, the number of seahorses is rapidly declining. Thirty species of these fish are included in the Red Book, that is, almost all species known to science. Ecology is primarily to blame for this. The world's oceans are turning into a global dump. Its inhabitants are degenerating and dying out.

Half a century ago, the Chesapeake Bay was a narrow, long bay off the coast American states Maryland and Virginia (its length reaches 270 kilometers) were considered a real paradise for seahorses. Now you can hardly find them there. Alison Scarratt, director of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, estimates that ninety percent of the bay's algae have died in the past half century, due to water pollution. But algae was the natural habitat of seahorses.

Another reason for the decline is the massive catching of seahorses off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines. According to Amanda Vincent, at least 26 million of these fish are caught every year. A small part of them then end up in aquariums, and the majority die. For example, these cute fish are dried and used to make souvenirs - brooches, key rings, belt buckles. By the way, for the sake of beauty, their tail is bent back, giving the body the shape of the letter S.

However, most of the seahorses caught - about twenty million, according to the World Wildlife Fund - end up with pharmacists in China, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia and Singapore. The largest transshipment point for the sale of this “medical raw material” is Hong Kong. From here it is sold to more than thirty countries, including India and Australia. Here, a kilogram of seahorses costs about $1,300.

From these dried fish, crushed and mixed with other substances, for example with tree bark, drugs are prepared that are as popular in Japan, Korea, and China as here - aspirin or analgin. They help with asthma, cough, headaches and especially with impotence. IN Lately this Far Eastern “Viagra” has become popular in Europe.

However, even ancient authors knew that medicines could be prepared from seahorses. Thus, Pliny the Elder (24-79) wrote that in case of hair loss, one should use an ointment prepared from a mixture of dried seahorses, marjoram oil, resin and lard. In 1754, the English Gentlemen's Magazine advised nursing mothers to take seahorse extract "for the better flow of milk." Of course, old recipes can make you smile, but it is carried out now World organization health research into the “medicinal properties of the seahorse.”

Meanwhile, Amanda Vincent and a number of biologists advocate a complete ban on the uncontrolled harvesting and trade of seahorses, trying to put an end to predatory fishing, as they managed to do with whaling. The situation is that in Asia, seahorses are caught mainly by poachers. To put an end to this, the researcher created the Project Seahorse organization back in 1986, which is trying to protect seahorses in Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Philippines, as well as establish a civilized trade in them. Things are especially successful on the Philippine island of Handayan.

Residents of the local village of Handumon have been harvesting seahorses for centuries. However, in just ten years, from 1985 to 1995, their catches decreased by almost 70 percent. Therefore, the seahorse rescue program proposed by Amanda Vincent was perhaps the only hope for fishermen.

To begin with, it was decided to create a protected area with a total area of ​​​​thirty-three hectares, where fishing was completely prohibited. There, all the seahorses were counted and even numbered, putting a collar on them. From time to time, divers looked into this water area and checked whether the “lazy couch potatoes”, seahorses, had swum away from here.

We agreed that outside protected area will not catch males with full brood pouches. If they were caught in the net, they were thrown back into the sea. In addition, ecologists tried to replant mangroves and underwater algae forests - the natural shelters of these fish.

In some zoos - in Stuttgart, Berlin, Basel, as well as in the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the California Aquarium, breeding of these fish is successful. Perhaps they can be saved.

In the seas washing Russia, there are only two species of seahorses (although the species diversity of seahorses is great, in total there are 32 species of seahorses in different seas of the world). These are the Black Sea seahorse and the Japanese seahorse. The first one lives in Black and Seas of Azov, and the second is in Japanese.

“Our” seahorses are small and do not have luxurious long outgrowths all over their bodies, like, for example, the raghorse that lives in warm seas and masquerading as thickets of Sargassum algae. Their shell modestly performs a protective function: it is very strong and is usually colored to match the background color.

Like the multitude of creatures that fill the seas, skies and land, the seahorse has no link that can connect it with any other form of life. Like all major types of living creatures, the complex seahorse was created suddenly, as the book of Genesis tells us.

The seahorse is amazing and unusual representative tropical reservoirs. Its appearance and some features of life differ from representatives marine environment. Among connoisseurs of such individuals, a common question is: is a seahorse a fish or an animal? The answer to it is simple - the individual belongs to the animal kingdom and the class of Ray-finned fish. After many years of research, scientists have proven that the animal is a close relative of the pipefish.

The seahorse belongs to the animal kingdom and the class of ray-finned fish

General information

Since the animal is considered a highly modified species of pipefish, it belongs to the order Aciliformes. The unusual body of the skate really resembles a chess piece. Perhaps this was the reason to give the animal such a name.

IN natural environment The pipit can be found in subtropical and tropical waters around the world. Salty and maximum pure water - best condition for his comfortable stay. The size of the seahorse is small and ranges from 2 to 30−32 cm. It is quite rare to find individuals that reach 35 cm in length.

There are many theories about where the seahorse lives, as it has been seen in different parts of the world. Most often the animal can be found in water bodies of Australia, sometimes England. Sometimes individual species found in the Azov and Black Seas. It prefers to stay close to the bottom and uses algae as cover, camouflaging itself in their thickets and changing color according to the color they are painted in.

The seahorse prefers to be at the bottom of the reservoir and hide in the algae

The body of the fish is covered with a very hard and bony shell. which protects against negative impact environment. Often the body has spines of different lengths and shapes, some are covered with long ribbon-like processes of different colors. Surprisingly, this fish has no scales. A special feature of the structure will be the head, since it is very firmly attached to the body and does not rotate. If the horse wants to look back, it turns its whole body or bulges its eyes.

Each eye moves separately from the other. This feature is also inherent in chameleons, which can rotate each eye separately in a circle. There is some debate about how long seahorses live, as they usually live up to 4 years, but in some cases you can find representatives who live up to 6 years.

Another feature of the fish is its vertical position in the water. This is possible due to the fact that the swim bladder is divided into two sections by a thin septum and allows it to maintain a vertical position.

Popular types

There are about 50 species of seahorses in their natural habitat. Each of them differs in size, appearance and some structural features. The most common are the following:

In Southern Japan you can find dwarf individuals. They are painted in light colors with purple stripes or spots. They camouflage well as corals. They have a body length of no more than 3 cm. They prefer not to descend to a depth of more than 40 meters.

Nutritional Features

Amazing fish are one of the few species that are not the hunt is on from other inhabitants of the deep sea. It's all about the structure of the individuals, in which spines and bone plates predominate. Large animals are unable to digest such food. predatory fish or other hunters. The only one who can eat the skate is the sand crab, whose stomach is able to digest what it eats.

The skates themselves feed on plankton.

The favorite delicacy of these unusual fish is baby crayfish and other small fish. Thanks to the amazing ability of the skate to camouflage itself and remain motionless for several hours, it successfully hunts them. It waits for the moment when the victim approaches and sucks it along with water into its mouth.

Seahorses do not have a stomach. That's why they are very gluttonous

Despite their small size, seahorses are very voracious and are capable of hunting and eating large numbers of small individuals for up to 10 hours a day. This is due to the fact that individuals do not have a stomach, so food passes through all parts of the digestive system quite quickly. If you keep them in captivity, Several feeding rules should be followed:

• Captive-bred specimens are capable of feeding on dead daphnia, shrimp and other small specimens, as well as dry fish food.
• The food should only be fresh.
• Individuals should be fed regularly, but avoid overeating, as in captivity this can cause a variety of diseases.

It is possible to install a variety of feeders in which food is placed. A few days after installing such an innovation, the individuals themselves will understand that this is a new place for eating. Several long rods or sticks should be installed near the feeders so that the skates can cling to them while eating.

Reproduction of seahorses

Unusual fish lead a sedentary lifestyle and are in one place almost all the time. In case of danger, they can develop decent speed or are attached to big fish so that they could move them to a safer place.

The fish is faithful and throughout his life prefers to be close to one partner. Only in rare cases does a female or male change her life partner. The most incredible thing will be the fact that in a married couple the male bears the offspring. After the start of spawning, the couple performs a certain mating dance for a long time. After this, the female transfers the eggs to a special pocket, which is located on the male’s belly.

After 2 weeks of gestation, the fry emerge from the pocket, are already independent and immediately set off for free swimming. Different types of skates differ in their fertility and can lay from 5 to 2000 eggs at a time.

Breeding skates in captivity is quite difficult and an aquarium hobbyist will not be able to cope with it. Despite the fact that individuals are quite popular among aquarists, keeping them in an artificial environment has many nuances. If the conditions are not met, they begin to get sick and die.

Currently, seahorses of various species are on the verge of extinction. This is due to the fact that in many countries fish is considered an expensive delicacy and is caught on an industrial scale. In some regions of Australia and Asia, skates are used as raw materials for the preparation of various ointments and medications.

ABOUT healing properties Humanity has known the meat of this amazing fish since ancient times and included it in many dishes. However then amateur fishing could not significantly reduce the number of individuals. Now, catching has really become a problem, as it is gradually leading to the complete disappearance of the species.

IN sea ​​depths there live many unusual and interesting creatures, among which special attention seahorses deserve.

Seahorses, or scientifically called hypocampus, are small bony fish of the pipefish family. Today there are about 30 species, which differ in size and appearance. “Height” ranges from 2 to 30 centimeters, and the colors come in a wide variety.

Skates do not have scales, but they are protected by a hard bony shell. Only land crab, therefore, underwater predators usually do not arouse interest in skates, and they hide in such a way that any needle in a haystack would be jealous.

Another one interesting feature skates in the eyes: like a chameleon, they can move independently of each other.

Like a fish in water? No, it's not about them

Unlike other inhabitants of the sea, pipits swim in a vertical position, this is possible due to the presence of a large longitudinal swim bladder. By the way, they are very inept swimmers. The dorsal fin is small and makes fairly fast movements, but this does not give much speed, but pectoral fins serve mainly as rudders. Most For some time, the horse hangs motionless in the water, its tail caught on a seaweed.

Every day is stressful

Seahorses live in tropical and subtropical seas and prefer clear, calm water. The greatest danger for them is strong rolling, which can sometimes lead to complete exhaustion. Seahorses are generally very susceptible to stress. They get along poorly in an unfamiliar environment, even if there is enough food; in addition, the cause of death can be the loss of a partner.

There's no such thing as too much food

The seahorse has a primitive digestive system, there are no teeth or stomach, therefore, in order not to die of hunger, the creature has to constantly eat. By their feeding method, skates are predators. When it’s time for a snack (almost always), they cling to the algae with their tails and suck surrounding water, which contains plankton.

Unusual family

Family relationships among skates are also very peculiar. The female always chooses the other half. When she sees a suitable candidate, she invites him to dance. Several times the pair rises to the surface and falls again. The main task of the male is to be hardy and keep up with his girlfriend. If he slows down, the capricious lady will immediately find another gentleman, but if the test is passed, the couple begins to mate.

Seahorses are monogamous, meaning they choose a partner for life and even sometimes swim with their tails tied together. The offspring is carried by the male, and by the way, these are the only creatures on the planet that experience “male pregnancy.”

The mating dance can last about 8 hours. In the process, the female places the eggs in a special pouch on the male’s belly. This is where miniature seahorses will form over the next 50 days.

From 5 to 1500 cubs will be born, only 1 in 100 will survive to sexual maturity. It seems small, but this figure is actually one of the highest among fish.

Why are seahorses becoming extinct?

Seahorses are small, peace-loving fish that have suffered greatly due to their bright and unusual appearance. People catch them for various purposes: for making gifts, souvenirs, or for preparing expensive exotic dishes that cost about $800 per serving. In Asia, medicines are made from dried seahorses. 30 species out of 32 existing ones are listed in the Red Book.