In some species, male and female seahorses form monogamous breeding pairs – that is, they mate for life. The Seahorse Trust was set up in 1999 as an umbrella organisation to preserve and conserve the natural world, especially the marine environment using Seahorses as our flagship species. The taxonomy has proven difficult because seahorses don't vary a great deal from one species to another. Another intriguing fact about the seahorse is its ability to camouflage. They are capable of changing colors ranging from ash grey, orange, brown, yellow, red, and black to blend into their environment (Lourie & Foster, 2004). While mating, the male receives the femaleâs eggs and caries them until birth. (See Seahorse Anatomy for illustrations). Life history and ecology of seahorses: implications for conservation and management. Foster, S.J. There are many incredible seahorse facts out there, but these are just a few of them. Ranging in length from more than a foot to under one inch, there are more than 40 known species of these ‘horses of the sea’ recorded by scientists to date. Seahorses prefer to swim in pairs with their tails linked together. Seahorses need to eat constantly to survive. Solution: Kim Manzo was recently trained to tag seahorses using VIFE, a harmless elastomer (rigorously tested and approved for many fish species including seahorses) that is injected just under the skin in a particular pattern to give them a unique tag that can be identified by the naked eye or by blacklight in dark conditions. While we humans may schedule dates with romantic prospects to analyze our compatibility and get to know each other better, seahorses prove we’re not the only species that ‘date!’ They engage in their daily dances to strengthen their romantic bond, ensure their reproductive cycles are properly synced and to verify each day that their partner is both still fervently committed and, frankly, alive (hey, that’s kind of important). Our ocean faces many threats like the onslaught of ocean trash, overfishing and ocean acidification. To help them swim fast? The common seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) goes by names as estuary; yellow and spotted seahorse. It is an important adaptation because it allows seahorses to hide easily from predators as well as aids in predation success on prey organisms like amphipods, copepods, and other small crustaceans. This could be why the female will deposit up to 1,500 eggs into the male during the mating process. The fins on the sides of their heads can beat up to 50 times a second, and their tails … Seahorses giving birth. Please try While these points make seahorses all the more fascinating as a species, there’s one more fact about them that’s critical for us all to remember: they’re depending on us to make sure the ecosystems they call home are healthy and protected from pressing threats like ocean trash. Being that these are not permanent forms of habitat, they would not suffice for a mating/bonded pair to remain and return to. We desperately need to understand more about their populations. There are about 40 known species of seahorse. Called a ‘brood pouch’, it’s a bit like the pouch of a kangaroo, used for carrying young. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippokampos (ἱππόκαμπος hippókampos), itself from hippos (ἵππος híppos) meaning "horse" and kampos (κάμπος kámpos) meaning "sea monster". We work in partnership through a Seahorse Alliance with many organisations and people from all over the world and it is this unique partnership … and K.L. Journal of Fish Biology. He has worked with seahorses over the last 20 years primarily in the Indo Pacific and South America where seahorses are actively fished. Absolutely not! They are known for their distinct physical characteristics which includes its horse shaped head, its kangaroo pouch, and its monkey tail.