Seahorse

ANATOMY 

They are called 'seahorses' because their head looks like that of a horse.

The body is small and compressed and covered with bony plates raised into tubercles or spines.

The tail is prehensile, and the tubular mouth sucks in small animals as food.

Seahorses don't have stomachs, just intestines to absorb nutrients from food, so they eat almost constantly.

Unlike most fish which have scales, seahorses have skin.

Seahorses are adept at camouflage with the ability to grow and reabsorb spiny appendages depending on their habitat

MATING  

Father seahorses are the only male animals to become pregnant. They accept around 50–1,500 eggs from the female, fertilize them, and then carry the eggs for several weeks until they hatch.

Seahorses are monogamous and mate for life.

Only one seahorse in five makes it to adulthood.

BEHAVIOR 

Seahorses are the only fish that swim upright.

Seahorses move along at about 0.01 mph, making them what scientists believe to be the slowest fish in the ocean.

Seahorses feed on small crustaceans floating in the water or crawling on the bottom. Helped by their excellent camouflage abilities, seahorses are able to ambush prey that floats within striking range.

HABITAT 

Seahorses are mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters ranging from the Atlantic through the Mediterranean to Australia.

They live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, estuaries, coral reefs, or mangroves.

Colonies have been found in European waters such as the Thames Estuary.