Of the inhabitants underwater world The most unusual, but known to everyone, are seahorses. They belong to the needle family of the needle-shaped order. The fact is that they are fellow fish called sea needles, whose body is retracted, narrow and long. The largest skates are called dragons, and there are about 50 species in total. seahorses.

After analyzing the structure of the seahorse, scientists found that it originated from the sea needle fish 13 million years ago. In appearance, these species are very similar, only the needle is straightened, and the ridge is curved.

Description of the underwater "horse"

At first glance, it seems that the skate is not a fish at all. If you look at the photo of a seahorse, outwardly it resembles a horse in chess pieces. The silhouette of this unusual fish is curved, the abdomen stands out forward, and the back is rounded. The front part of the body of the skate is narrow and curved in such a way that it resembles the neck and head of a horse. The front of the head is elongated, a fish with bulging eyes. The long tail is wrapped in a spiral. The tail is quite flexible, which allows the seahorse to curl around the seaweed.

His body is covered with a wide variety of bumps, thickenings and outgrowths. On their small body there are bony scales that act as armor, they are bright and shimmer. Such a skate shell cannot be pierced, it is very strong and protects against marine predators.

Their color is varied, but still monotonous. The color of the skate cover depends on the habitat, they acquire the most similar color for the best imitation of the surface on which they live. So, for example, if a seahorse is among corals, then most likely it is red or bright yellow or purple. Skates that live in the environment of seaweed are brown, yellow or green in color. They also tend to change shade in cases of habitat changes.

Sea Horses small sizes, the smallest start from 2 cm, and the largest reach 20 cm.

Habitat

Seahorses live under water, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. This means that they live all over the planet.

Usually fish live among seaweed or corals in shallow waters. Skates are inactive and inactive. Most of the time they are in a position with their tail hooked on a branch of coral or seaweed. Larger fish - sea dragons - cannot attach themselves to aquatic vegetation.

Lifestyle

Skates swim a little, not far from their usual place and slowly, while the body is held vertically - this is one of the main differences from other fish. In an emergency, if spooked, they can swim in a horizontal position. In danger, the pipit quickly clings to corals or algae with its tail and freezes. He hangs upside down motionless. In this position, the skate can be for a very long time.

They also differ from other inhabitants of the seabed in their meek and calm nature. These fish are not aggressive towards others. But still they belong to predatory fish, as they feed on heterogeneous small organisms - plankton. They track down the smallest mollusks, crustaceans, larvae of other fish and other invertebrates with their rotating eyes. When the prey comes close to the seahorse, he sucks it up with his mouth, while greatly puffing his cheeks. This little fish is insatiable, and it can eat about 10 hours a day.

seahorse breeding

It should also be noted that these fish are monogamous. They say about seahorses that these fish live couples all of my life. But it still happens when they change their partners. Another of the main features is that male seahorses hatch eggs instead of females. During the mating season, the skates change: in the female, an ovipositor grows in the form of a tube, and in the male, a bag is formed in the tail area with thickened folds. Before fertilization, partners have a rather long mating dance. These are touching courtship from the male. It was also revealed that the male seahorse, as it were, adapts to the female, while changing the color of the color to match her.

The female lays eggs in the male's pouch. So the male bears eggs for about two weeks. The bag has a small hole through which the fry are born. As for sea dragons, they don't have a bag. They hatch eggs on the very stem of the tail. The number of eggs differs in different types skates. So, some may have 5 fry, while others may have 1500 eggs.

The birth itself is painful for the male. It happens that the outcome of the birth of fry for a skate is fatal.

Experiment

One day scientists did an experiment. A pair of males and a pair of females were placed in one tank to breed seahorses. After all the traditional courtship, the female laid her eggs to one of the males for further fertilization. The fertilized male was removed to a nearby aquarium. The remaining male tried to care for this female, but all his efforts were in vain. She ignored him and didn't try to put her eggs in his bag. When they nevertheless returned the male back to the aquarium to the female, she again chose him to fertilize her offspring. So he was cleaned again and again after the eggs were planted on him. Despite the fact that the second male continued to care for her, the female seahorse still chose her former male for breeding. The experiment with the fish was done 6 times - everything remained unchanged.

Fry

Out of a thousand newborn fry, only 5% survive and continue labor.

The fry that have just appeared are already completely independent and move away from their parents, choosing a new habitat for themselves.

Skates in the Red Book

Now most species of seahorses are rare, and some are completely disappearing from the seabed. After all, 30 species are listed in the Red Book. And all because the seahorse breeds in small quantities. There is a ban on the fishing of skates. But despite this, a person catches these fish in huge quantities for cooking. Gourmets consider the fillet of these fish to be truly a delicacy and sell it at fabulous prices. And also skates are used in oriental medicine, they are used to make various drugs for diseases. skin and asthma. Due to the unusual beautiful view skates are dried and sold in large quantities as souvenirs. People deliberately bend the tail of the skate in reverse side so that its shape becomes in the form of the letter S. In nature, such fish do not exist.

Water pollution also plays a big role in the extinction of most species of seahorses. Indeed, every year more and more waste is thrown into the oceans and chemical substances processed by factories. Environmental accidents and other pollution affect the extinction of corals, algae, which are so necessary for the life of seahorses.

Breeding seahorses at home

Despite the desire of many aquarium owners to have such an interesting fish at home, the horse is very whimsical for breeding at home. He is susceptible various diseases and too picky about feed.

Rare types of skates are very difficult to endure being in an aquarium. They may become stressed or sick. Therefore, when breeding fish at home, it is necessary to create conditions close to natural environment a habitat. If you carefully approach the reproduction of a seahorse, then it will delight the owner for 3-4 years.

Aquarium

It is necessary to monitor the temperature of the water in the aquarium. Optimum temperature water for them is about 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius. For hot days, you need to take care of installing an aquarium split system or turn on a fan nearby. Otherwise, hot air adversely affects these fish, and they simply suffocate.

In order for a seahorse to feel comfortable at home, in an aquarium, it is necessary to monitor the quality of the water in it. Aquarium water should not contain ammonia or phosphates. At the bottom you need to put corals and algae. Various grottoes, jugs, castles and other products made of artificial materials are also welcome.

Fish nutrition

Seahorses eat often and a lot, so they need to provide 4-5 meals a day. Frozen meat of crustaceans, shrimp and other invertebrate mollusks is suitable for food. They also willingly eat moths and daphnia.

Content Features

The seahorse is very demanding in care, so the owners of such royal fish need to be patient and self-possessed. Here are some features to be aware of:


Neighbors in the aquarium

In the neighborhood, you can put calm fish or invertebrates in the aquarium. Fish should be small, slow and cautious. Ideal neighbors for seahorses are blennies and gobies. They will get along well with a snail that does not sting corals and perfectly cleans the aquarium. You can also consider living stones as inhabitants of the "house" of needle-shaped fish. These are small pieces of calcareous rock that have been in warm tropical waters for some time and are inhabited by various living organisms. All new neighbors must be healthy so as not to infect the seahorses.

The 16th-century French naturalist Guillaume Rondele, one of the first to publish a fundamental work on marine fish, described the seahorse as a cross between insects and primitive coelenterates. No wonder, because this creature strikes with its unusual appearance. But modern scientists have come to the conclusion that seahorses are still fish. Indeed, they breathe through gills, have a swim bladder that allows them to control their buoyancy, and are able to spawn. That's just sea ​​Horse- this is a very special fish, and than more people studies it, the more interesting facts learns:

The seahorse is a fish, but it does not have scales. The bodies of these creatures are covered with rigid plates that form a kind of exoskeleton. This makes them unattractive prey for a number of predators. By the way, they also have an internal skeleton.


Seahorses are different sizes: tiny as a pine nut and as big as a banana. The largest members of this tribe belong to the species Hippocampus abdominalis, also known as the pot-bellied seahorse. They can reach 35 cm and live in the waters of South Australia and New Zealand. The smallest of known species called a seahorse Satomi(Hippocampus satomiae), it was described by biologists in 2008. Its size is only one and a half centimeters, and the place of residence is the waters of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.


Today, there are about 54 species of seahorses around the world, although there is no consensus on their number yet. Identification of these animals is a very difficult task, because individuals of the same species can vary greatly in appearance. In addition, researchers continue to find new species.

Seahorses swim well. The pygmy seahorse holds the record for slowness, developing "fantastic" speed: 1.5 meters per hour. It is not surprising that skates spend most of the time standing "at anchor", that is, catching their flexible tail on something motionless.

But seahorses are avid hitchhikers. They can move long distances by clinging to floating algae and debris. This allows you to save energy, but during a storm, travelers are constantly at risk of being washed ashore along with their unreliable boats.


Seahorses move with the help of a small fin on their back, which flutters up to 35 times per second. The pectoral fins, which are even smaller in size, are located closer to the back of the head and serve purely for steering. These fish are very maneuverable: they can easily move up, down, forward and backward.

Seahorses have no teeth and no stomach. Food passes through their digestive system so quickly that they have to eat almost continuously. These creatures are able to eat more 3000 microscopic crustaceans per day. Left without food, they can quickly die from exhaustion.

The graceful muzzles of these animals, thanks to which they got their name, act like a vacuum cleaner pipe. When prey swims nearby, the skate sharply sucks it up. If the prey is too large, the seahorse's mouth may expand slightly.


The eyes of seahorses operate independently of each other, allowing them to monitor the space around them without moving or betraying their presence. This means they can look forward and backward at the same time! This feature is very useful because these animals hunt by sight. And they are excellent.

These underwater inhabitants are specialists in disguise. Some species can change their body color to blend in with their surroundings, while others are already born indistinguishable from a coral sprig or seaweed fragment.

Seahorses can communicate with each other by making clicking or smacking sounds. Most often this occurs during meals and courtship.


Seahorses have a complex and lengthy courtship ritual. The male can seek the location of the female for several days. As if dancing, they copy each other's movements for several hours or intertwine their tails. Already established couples can "dance" every day, strengthening the bond with each other. Those types of skates that are able to change color use this opportunity during mating games.

Some types of seahorses are monogamous, while others only stay together during the mating season.

The most amazing feature these animals are theirs unique way breeding. The female spawns like an ordinary fish, but the eggs are placed in a special bag located on the front of the male's body. He fertilizes her and bears in his rounded belly. Dad's gestation period varies from 14 days to 4 weeks. The number of eggs can range from 50-150 for small species and up to 1500 for larger ones. Childbirth is accompanied by contractions and can last up to 12 hours.


Newborn seahorses look like miniature copies of their parents, do not need their help and immediately go to independent travel. For the first weeks of their life, they drift aimlessly along with plankton and are vulnerable to many predators. Fewer than one in a hundred escape the fate of being prey and reach maturity.

For many people, the seahorse is associated with south seas and hot countries, but these are not such pampered animals. They are found not only in the tropics, but also off the coast of Great Britain and Eastern Canada. Even in black and Seas of Azov where the water is not salty enough for most tropical fish, you can meet one of the species of seahorse.


The average lifespan of a seahorse is between 4 – 6 years. However, many species are endangered due to overfishing. In particular, more than 20 million skates are caught annually for the needs of traditional Chinese medicine. Other factors that negatively affect their numbers are ocean pollution and the degradation of coral reefs.

It's hard to believe, but in ancient times, seahorses were feared and considered chthonic creatures. The Chinese are sure that skates return male power, and Europeans decorate their aquariums with them.

Underwater chameleons

Unlike other inhabitants of the oceans and seas, seahorses swim in an upright position and in pairs, often with their tails tied. At the same time, they, like chameleons, avoid a few enemies, imitating the color of underwater plants.

The last property is due to the fact that seahorses are inept swimmers. They have a small fin on their back, making up to 35 movements per second, and pectoral fins, which are more correctly called rudders. And the pygmy seahorse is generally recognized as the slowest fish in the world. It moves at a speed of 1.5 meters per hour.

good eaters

Seahorses have neither teeth nor a stomach. Their digestive system resembles a ramjet, so they have to eat constantly in order not to die of hunger. As a rule, they cling to algae with their tenacious tails and suck up water at a distance of up to three centimeters, and along with it - simple food. Every day they consume three thousand or more brine shrimp (planktonic organisms). They also love a tiny fish, carefully watching it. Interestingly, both eyes of skates can look in different directions, studying the environment.

Close relative - needlefish

However, there are not so many who want to eat the seahorses themselves, except perhaps penguins, crabs, tuna, stingrays and some of the very hungry predators. The thing is that seahorses are very poorly digested due to excessive boneiness. Their numerous long spikes and band-like leathery outgrowths are also not pleasant for absorption. as show genetic research, the ancestors of seahorses are the same needle-like progenitor from which the needlefish appeared. The division into two species occurred approximately 23 million years ago.

Non-stress resistant

The greatest danger to seahorses is a strong pitching, leading to exhaustion and complete loss of strength. They like calm and clear water. Interestingly, these fish are very susceptible to stress. In an unusual environment, they die quickly enough, even if they have food. That is why they do not take root well in aquariums. Interestingly, seahorses are monogamous, are faithful partners and are not separated from each other all their lives. After the death of one of them, the widow or widower grieves greatly, which can even cause death.

Lady's choice

The role of the male in choosing his half is secondary. The female herself decides who should make her a couple. Seeing a suitable candidate for a wife, she tests him for passion for three days. She intertwines with him in a dance, and rises to the surface of the water to sink again to the bottom. In the literature, this phenomenon is described as a "dawn dance". This happens multiple times.

Between themselves, future partners exchange clicking signals. The task of the male is to keep up with the dancing girlfriend. If he fails, the bride looks for another groom. It is believed that this is how the female tests the strength of the male. If the choice is made, then the seahorses begin to mate.

pregnant dad

Seahorses are faithful partners and are not separated from each other all their lives. At the same time, the male himself bears his cubs, being the only creature on earth who has a so-called male pregnancy.

The mating dance lasts eight hours and is accompanied by a color change. In the process of mating, the female transfers the eggs to the partner in the brood pouch on her stomach. It is there that miniature seahorses are formed within 40-50 days. From 5 to 1500 fry can be born.

By the way, some scientists argue that the expression "pregnant male" is not true. The point is that the obligation sea ​​horse» is the protection of fertilized eggs. During this period, the female visits the male once a day for 6 minutes of "morning greeting", and then sails away until the next morning. In captivity, this routine can be broken.

For good health

Before middle age only one out of a hundred fry survive. In fact, this figure is one of the highest for fish. IN Lately The greatest danger to seahorses is man, in particular, about 20 million of these fish are caught annually by the Chinese for traditional medicine primarily for the treatment of impotence.

It is also claimed that a decoction of them helps to overcome nocturnal enuresis. Seahorses sell for an average of $600 to $3,000 per kilo. There are times when these dried fish were exchanged for gold by weight one to one. In addition to the Chinese, Indonesians and Filipinos also catch seahorses. As a result, almost all types of seahorse are listed in the Red Book. And a species such as the Paradoxical Seahorse is considered extinct.

One appearance of these fish sets up 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 kind of small magic horse.

It is covered not with scales, but with bone plates. However, in his shell, he is so light and fast that he literally soars in the water, and his body shimmers with all colors - from orange to gray-blue, from lemon yellow to fiery red. By the brightness of the colors, it is just right to compare this fish with tropical birds.

Seahorses inhabit the coastal waters of tropical and subtropical seas. But they are also found in the North Sea, for example, off the southern coast of England. Choose quieter places; they don't like rough water.

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

In Black and mediterranean seas you can meet the long-faced, spotted Hippocampus guttulatus, whose length reaches 12-18 centimeters. The most famous representatives of the species Hippocampus kuda, which lives off the coast of Indonesia. Seahorses of this species (their length is 14 centimeters) are painted brightly and colorfully, some are speckled, others are striped. The largest seahorses are found near Australia.

Whether they are dwarfs or giants, seahorses resemble each other like brothers: a trusting look, capricious lips and an elongated "horse" muzzle. Their tail is hooked to the stomach, and horns adorn their heads. It is impossible to confuse these graceful and colorful fish, similar to 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. Yes, and they know how to hide in such a way that a needle thrown into a haystack will envy.

When Amanda Vincent of Montreal's McGill University began studying seahorses in the late 1980s, she was annoyed: "At first, I couldn't even notice those subs." 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 babies, can even change the shape of their bodies. They have 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 to fool enemies, but also to seduce partners. The German zoologist Rüdiger Verhasselt shares his observations: “I had a pink-red male in my aquarium. I put a bright yellow female with a red dot on him. The male began to look after the new fish and after a few days turned the same color as her - even red specks appeared.

In order to watch enthusiastic pantomimes and colorful confessions, one must go underwater early in the morning. In their confessions, they follow a funny etiquette: they nod their heads to greet a friend, while clinging to neighboring plants with their tails. Sometimes they freeze, getting closer in a “kiss”. Or whirl in a stormy love dance, and the males now and then inflate their stomachs.

The date is over - and the fish spread out to the sides. Adyu! See you next time! Seahorses usually live in monogamous pairs, loving each other to death, which they often have in the form of nets. After the death of a partner, his half misses, but after a few days or weeks he finds a roommate again. Seahorses settled in an aquarium suffer especially from 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? In the kindred of souls? Here's how biologists explain it: by regularly walking and caressing each other, seahorses synchronize their biological clocks. This helps them choose the most opportune moment for procreation. Then their meeting is delayed for several hours, or even days. They glow with excitement and whirl in a dance in which, as we remember, males inflate their stomachs. It turns out that the male has a wide fold on the abdomen, where the female lays her eggs.

Surprisingly, in seahorses, the male bears the offspring, having previously fertilized the eggs in the abdominal bag.

But this behavior is not as exotic as it might seem. Other species of fish are also known, for example, cichlids, in which males hatch caviar. But only in seahorses are we dealing with a process similar to pregnancy. The tissue on the inside of the brood pouch thickens in the male, as in the mammalian uterus. This tissue becomes a kind of placenta; it binds the father's body to 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, walking through the underwater forests stops. 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 kelp stalk and inflates its belly again. Sometimes a whole day passes before the first fry slips out of the bag. Then the young will start 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 in different species is different: some seahorses breed up to 1600 babies, while others have only two fry.

Sometimes the "birth" is so difficult that the males die of 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 childbearing process is too "unorthodox." Indeed, the structure of the seahorse appears to be a mystery if you try to explain it as the result of evolution. As one major expert said a few years ago: “In relation to evolution, the seahorse is in the same category as the platypus. Since it is a mystery that confuses and destroys all theories trying to explain the origin of this fish! Recognize the Divine Creator, and everything is explained.

What do seahorses do if they don't flirt and expect 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 helps to swim forward, and the 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, catching its tail on algae, coral, or even the neck of a relative. It seems that he is ready to hang around doing nothing all day. However, with visible laziness, he manages to catch a lot of prey - tiny crustaceans and fry. It has only recently been possible to observe how this happens.

The seahorse does not rush for prey, but waits until it swims up to it. Then he draws in the water, swallowing careless small fry. Everything happens so fast with a simple eye do not notice this. However, scuba divers say that when you get close to a seahorse, you sometimes hear smacking. The appetite of this fish is amazing: barely born, the seahorse manages to swallow about four thousand miniature shrimps in the first ten hours of life.

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

According to the World Foundation 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. The ecology is primarily responsible for this. The oceans are turning into a world dump. Its inhabitants degenerate and die.

Half a century ago, the Chesapeake Bay - a narrow, long bay off the coast of the US states of Maryland and Virginia (its length reaches 270 kilometers) - was 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 algae in the bay have died in that half-century, due to water pollution. But algae were the natural habitat of seahorses.

Another reason for the decline is the massive capture of seahorses off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines. According to Amanda Vincent, at least 26 million of these fish are harvested every year. A small part of them then ends up in aquariums, and most die. For example, from these cute fish, drying them, they make souvenirs - brooches, key rings, belt buckles. By the way, for the sake of beauty, they bend their tail back, giving the body the shape of the letter S.

However, most of the captured seahorses - 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 kilo of seahorses costs about $1,300.

From these dried fish, crushed and mixed with other substances, such as tree bark, drugs are prepared that are just as popular in Japan, Korea, China as we are - aspirin or analgin. They help with asthma, coughs, headaches and especially impotence. Recently, this Far Eastern "Viagra" has become popular in Europe.

However, even ancient authors knew that medicines could be prepared from seahorses. So, 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 breastfeeding mothers to take seahorse extract "for better milk flow." Certainly, old recipes may cause a smile, but spends the same now World Organization health research on the "healing properties of the seahorse".

Meanwhile, Amanda Vincent and a number of biologists are advocating a complete ban on the uncontrolled harvesting and trade of seahorses, trying to end predatory fishing, as whaling was done in its time. The situation is that in Asia, seahorses are caught mainly by poachers. To end 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 to establish a civilized trade in them. Things are especially successful on the Philippine island of Khandayan.

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

To begin with, it was decided to create a protected area with total area thirty-three hectares, where fishing was completely banned. 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 if the “lazy homebodies”, seahorses, had swum away from here.

Agreed that outside protected area will not catch males with full brood bags. If they were caught in the net, they were thrown back into the sea. In addition, environmentalists have tried to re-plant mangroves and underwater forests of algae - 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, the breeding of these fish is going well. Perhaps they can be saved.

In the seas surrounding Russia, there are only two species of seahorses (although the species diversity of seahorses is high, only different seas There are 32 species of seahorses in the world. These are the Black Sea seahorse and the Japanese seahorse. The first lives in the Black and Azov seas, and the second in the Japanese.

“Our” seahorses are small and do not have chic long outgrowths all over their bodies, like, for example, a rag-picker that lives in warm seas and masquerading as thickets of sargasso algae. Their carapace has a modest protective function: it is very strong and usually painted to match the color of the background.

As with many creatures that fill the seas, skies and land, there is no link for the seahorse 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 an amazing and unusual representative of tropical waters. His appearance and some features of life differ from representatives marine environment. Among connoisseurs of such individuals, the question is common: a seahorse is 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 needlefish.

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 Needle-shaped. The unusual body of the skate really resembles a piece in chess. Perhaps this was the reason for giving the animal such a name.

In the natural environment, you can meet the seahorse in subtropical and tropical reservoirs 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, since it was met in different corners planets. Most often, the animal can be found in the waters of Australia, sometimes England. Sometimes certain types found in the Azov and Black Seas. It prefers to stay close to the bottom and uses algae as cover, camouflaging themselves in their thickets and changing color according to what color they are.


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 influences environment. Often there are thorns on the body different lengths and forms, some covered with long ribbon-like processes different color. Surprisingly, this fish does not have scales. The head will become a feature of the structure, since it is very firmly attached to the body and does not turn. If the skate wants to look back, he turns his whole body or bulges his 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 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 you to maintain a vertical position.

Popular types

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


In southern Japan, dwarf individuals can be found. They are painted in light colors with purple stripes or spots. Perfectly disguised 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.

Nutrition Features

Amazing fish are one of the few species that are not hunted by other inhabitants sea ​​depths. It's all about the structure of individuals, which is dominated by spikes and bone plates. Such food is not able to digest large predatory fish or other hunters. The only one who can eat a skate is a sand crab, whose stomach is able to digest what they eat.

The skates themselves feed on plankton.

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


Seahorses do not have a stomach. Therefore they are very greedy.

Despite their small size, seahorses are very voracious and are capable of hunting and eating up to 10 hours a day. a large number of small individuals. This is due to the fact that individuals do not have a stomach, so food passes through all departments rather quickly. digestive system. If you keep them in captivity, There are a few feeding rules to follow:

  • Captive-bred individuals are capable of feeding on dead daphnia, shrimp, and other small individuals, as well as dry fish food.
  • The food must be fresh.
  • Individuals should be fed regularly, but overeating should not be allowed, since in captivity this can cause a variety of diseases.

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

seahorse breeding

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

The fish is loyal and throughout life prefers to be close to one partner. Only in rare cases does a female or male change a life partner. The most incredible 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 that, the female transfers the eggs to a special pocket, which is located on the male's belly.

After 2 weeks of gestation, fry come out of the pocket, which are already independent and immediately set off for free swimming. Different kinds Pipits are distinguished by their fecundity 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 handle 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 the fish is an expensive delicacy, and it is caught on an industrial scale. In some regions of Australia and Asia, skates are used as a raw material for the preparation of various ointments and medicines.

ABOUT healing properties this meat amazing fish mankind has known since antiquity and included it in many dishes. However, then amateur fishing could not significantly reduce the number of individuals. Now the catch has become a real problem, as it gradually leads to the complete disappearance of the species.