Avid aquarists like to breed a wide variety of exotic fish and bright, unusual animals that attract with their non-standard, bizarre proportions and interesting, sometimes playful behavior. And none, and even can not be compared with the brightest inhabitants of sea waters - seahorses.

Sea Horse is one of the most outlandish representatives of the aquarium world. Despite their bizarre forms, all seahorses are included in the subgroup of bony marine fish, the needle-shaped order.

This is interesting! There are only one males on the planet who themselves bear their future offspring - seahorses.

Taking a closer look, you yourself will notice the striking similarity of these small bony fish with a chess piece. And how a seahorse moves interestingly in the water, bends all over and very proudly carries its superbly folded head!

Despite the apparent difficulty, keeping seahorse, practically the same as keeping any other inhabitants of the aquarium world. But, before acquiring one or several individuals, one should take into account many factors, without which the life of this bright and interesting "sea needle" may not be as long as we would like.

Seahorses: interesting facts

The existence of the seahorse was known for a thousand years before our era. In ancient Roman mythology, it is told that the god of water streams and the sea, Neptune, whenever he went to check his possessions, harnessed a “sea needle”, very similar to a horse, to the chariot. Therefore, for sure, Lord Neptune cannot be huge if he moved on small thirty-centimeter skates. And, seriously, it is very rare in nature today to find marine needle-shaped ones that would reach a length of 30 cm. Basically, “horses” barely reach twelve centimeters.

In our time, the existence of the fossilized remains of the ancestors of the seahorse is already known. In the course of the study on genetic level, scientists have identified the similarity of a seahorse with a needle fish.

What are seahorses

Today marine aquarists breed seahorses, which in length reach from 12 millimeters to twenty centimeters. However, most of all, aquarists prefer to care for hippocampus erectus, those. standard seahorses.

Seahorses were specially named so, since the head, chest, neck are completely similar to horse parts of the body. At the same time, they differ from fish in a different physique. The horse's head of these individuals is set in a completely different way than that of fish - in relation to the body, it is located at ninety degrees. What is even more interesting, these marine fish have eyes looking in different directions.

And these little, cute sea ​​creatures they swim not horizontally, but vertically and have scales all over their body, strong armor - bone colorful, iridescent plates. The shell of these marine needle-shaped specimens is "steel" that it cannot be pierced.

I would also like to mention interesting property twisted, long tail of a sea fish in the form of a spiral. If seahorses feel that a predator is nearby, they very quickly run away to shelter, algae, which they skillfully cling to with their spiral tail and manage to hide.

This is interesting! Feeling that danger is imminent, marine fish - skates cling to corals or algae with their long tails and remain for a long time motionless, hanging upside down.

Despite such a cute appearance, seahorses are classified as predatory fish, as they feed on shrimp and marine crustaceans.

The seahorse has the ability to camouflage itself. They mimic like chameleons, taking on the color of the place where they stop. Basically, these marine fish like to hide where there are more saturated, bright colors in order to avoid encountering predators. And with the help of bright colors, the male attracts the attention of the female, which he really liked. To please the female, he can even “put on” her color.

Seahorses, despite their numbers, are considered rare fish, so their thirty subspecies are listed in the Red Book. The problem is that from year to year the world ocean turns into a universal polluted, garbage "dump", because of which corals and algae die en masse, and these photosynthetic organisms have vital importance for seahorses.

And yet, the seahorse itself has long been a valuable animal. The Chinese fish these fish en masse, as they believe that they treat any disease. In many European countries dead seahorses automatically become raw materials for the manufacture of various souvenirs.

Keeping seahorses at home

Sea bony horses are unusual, bright, funny and very beautiful creatures. Maybe, feeling their beauty and grandeur, they are very “naughty” when they fall into captivity. And to make these fish feel good, even experienced aquarists should try very hard. For them must be created natural environment habitats so that the animals feel there in the same way as in sea water. It is very important to follow temperature regime aquariums. Seahorses will feel comfortable in cool water with a temperature of twenty-three to twenty-five degrees Celsius, but no more. In a hot period, be sure to install a split system above the aquarium, you can simply turn on the fan. From hot air, these little creatures can suffocate even in warm water.

Before placing purchased skates in an aquarium with ordinary water, check its quality: it should not contain phosphates or ammonia. The maximum concentration of nitrates in water is allowed at ten ppm. Also, don't forget to install your favorite seahorse algae and corals in the aquarium. Surface grottoes made of artificial material will also look beautiful.

So, you have taken care of the seahorse house. It will also be important for them to take care of nutrition, because these beautiful inhabitants seas love to eat meat and exotic often and a lot. On the day, the seahorse should eat at least four to five times, getting the meat of shrimp and crustaceans. To do this, you can buy frozen invertebrate molluscs and crustaceans. Seahorses love Mysis shrimp and will happily eat moths and even daphnia.

  • All seahorses suffer from limited gas exchange due to poor performance of the gills. That's why constant water filtration and oxygen supply is vital necessary process for seahorses.
  • Seahorses do not have stomachs, so they need a lot of food to keep themselves healthy and maintain their energy balance.
  • Seahorses do not have scales, which is why they easily succumb to any infection, especially bacterial ones. An ecosystem moderator in an enclosed space should frequently inspect the seahorse's torso, which may be damaged.
  • Seahorses have interesting mouths - proboscis, with the help of which these creatures suck in caught prey at such a speed that they can swallow a dozen spineless mollusks at a time.

seahorse breeding

Seahorses are skillful gentlemen! They begin their courtship with mating dance which is shown to the female. If everything worked out, the fish touch each other, wrap themselves around and look closely. This is how seahorses get to know each other. After numerous "hugs", the female begins to throw a large army of caviar into the male's purse with the help of her sexual nipple. Transparent fry of the seahorse are born after 30 days in an amount of from twenty to two hundred individuals. The fry are born - males!

This is interesting! In nature, there is a subspecies of males of an outstanding seahorse, capable of carrying over a thousand fry.

It is noteworthy that it is very difficult for a male seahorse to give offspring, after giving birth, after a day or even two, he rests for a long time at the bottom of the reservoir. And only the male, not the female, takes care of her babies for a long time, which, in case of imminent danger, can again hide in their father's brood pouch.

Seahorse Aquarium Neighbors

Seahorses are unpretentious and mysterious animals. They can easily get along with other fish and invertebrates. For them, only small fish, very slow and cautious, are suitable as neighbors. Such neighbors for skates can be fish - gobies and blennies. Among the invertebrates, one can single out the snail - an excellent aquarium cleaner, as well as not stinging corals.

It is also possible to place live stones in aquariums with sea needles, the main thing is that they are completely healthy and are not pathogens.

Where to buy a seahorse

Live pictures and photos are presented in any online store of aquariums and pet stores different types seahorses to help you choose the most ideal option.

It is here or in any pet store in your city that you can buy a seahorse at the best prices. Further, many pet stores offer for their regular customers significant discounts, starting from 10% and higher when ordering a batch of seahorses.

Seahorses are very peculiar fish with an outstanding appearance and interesting biology. They belong to the needle family of the order Kolushkoiformes. Such an affiliation is not accidental, because seahorses, one might say, are brothers of others. interesting fish- marine needles. In total, 50 species of seahorses are known, several of the most large species called sea dragons.

Grass sea dragon, or rag-picker horse (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus).

The appearance of seahorses is so unusual that at first glance it is difficult to recognize them as fish. The body of the skates is intricately curved, the back sticks out like a hump, the abdomen also protrudes forward, the front part of the body is thin and curved like the neck of a horse (hence the name). The head is small, its anterior part is elongated with a tube, the eyes are bulging. The tail of seahorses is long and very flexible; in a calm state, fish twist it into a ring or wrap their tail around the stems of aquatic plants. The body of the skates is covered with various thickenings, bumps, outgrowths and similar ornaments. The color of these fish is often of the same color, but different species are colored very differently. In any case, the coloring of each species very accurately imitates the color and texture of the surface on which this skate lives. Skates living among aquatic plants are often brown, yellowish, green; seahorses living among corals can be red, bright yellow, purple.

Seahorses are masters of the art of camouflage.

In addition, each fish can change its shade to some extent. Seahorses are small fish, ranging in size from 2 to 20 cm.

Most small view- the pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) is only 2 cm long. It is completely indistinguishable from coral branches.

These fish live in the seas of tropical and subtropical zones. Their range covers the entire Earth. Seahorses live in shallow waters among seaweed beds or among corals. These are sedentary and generally very inactive fish. Typically, seahorses wrap their tail around a twig of coral or a tuft of seagrass and spend most of their time in this position. But large sea dragons do not know how to attach themselves to vegetation. For short distances they swim holding the body vertically, if they have to leave the "house", then they can swim in an almost horizontal position. They swim slowly. In general, the nature of these fish is surprisingly calm and meek, seahorses do not show aggression towards fellow tribesmen and other fish.

The intricately decorated leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques) is indistinguishable from its surroundings.

They feed on plankton. They track down the smallest crustaceans, rolling their eyes funny. As soon as the prey approaches the miniature hunter, the seahorse puffs out its cheeks, creating negative pressure in the oral cavity and sucks the crustacean like a vacuum cleaner. Despite their small size, skates are big eaters and can indulge in gluttony up to 10 hours a day.

Seahorses are monogamous fish, they live couples, but periodically can change partners. Characteristically, these fish bear eggs, with males and females changing roles. IN mating season in females, a tube-shaped ovipositor grows, and in the male, thickened folds in the tail area form a bag. Before spawning, partners perform a long mating dance.

A spawning pair of seahorses.

The female lays the eggs in the male's pouch and he incubates them for about 2 weeks. Newborn fry exit the pouch through a narrow opening. Sea dragons do not have a bag and carry eggs on the tail stalk. The fertility of different species ranges from 5 to 1500 fry. Newborn fish are completely independent and move away from the parent pair.

Eggs on the tail of a sea dragon.

Currently, many species of seahorses have become very rare, and some are even on the verge of extinction. This is facilitated by the massive catch of these fish and their low fertility. They catch seahorses for their meat, which is used in cooking. Eastern countries and in oriental medicine. In addition, souvenirs made from dried seahorses are very popular. Keeping seahorses in aquariums is not very easy, they are demanding on food and prone to disease, but it is very interesting to watch them.

Leafy sea dragon hatches eggs.

how a male seahorse gives birth to fry.

The seahorse is a genus of small marine bony fish of the family of marine needles of the needle-shaped order. The number of species of seahorses is about 50. unusual shape the body of the skate resembles a chess piece of a horse. Numerous long spikes and tape-like leathery outgrowths located on the body of the seahorse make it invisible among algae and inaccessible to predators. The sizes of seahorses range from 2 to 30 cm, depending on the species to which a particular individual belongs. An interesting feature seahorse is that their offspring is carried by the male.

The taxonomy of the seahorse is very confusing due to the unique ability of these fish to change their appearance - color and even body shape. The closest relatives of seahorses are small fish - sea needles, which have much in common in the structure of the body with skates. However, the body shape and manner of movement in the water of sea "horses" is completely unusual.

The body of seahorses in the water is located unconventionally for fish - vertically or diagonally. The reason for this is the relatively large swim bladder, most of which is located in the upper body of the seahorse. It is impossible to confuse these graceful and colorful fish, similar to jewelry or toys, with any inhabitant of the water element.

The body of a seahorse is not covered with scales, but with bone plates. Barbed armor protects them from danger. The armor is so strong that it is almost impossible to break even a dried dead animal. However, in his shell, he is so light and fast that he literally soars in the water, and his body shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow - from orange to bluish blue, from lemon yellow to fiery red. By the brightness of the colors, it is just right to compare this fish with tropical birds and brightly colored coral reef fish.

These fish live in the seas of tropical and subtropical zones. Their range encircles the entire globe. Seahorses live in shallow waters among seaweed beds or among corals. These are sedentary and generally very inactive fish. Typically, seahorses wrap their tail around a twig of coral or a tuft of seagrass and spend most of their time in this position. But large sea dragons do not know how to attach themselves to vegetation. For short distances they swim holding the body vertically, if they have to leave the "house", then they can swim in an almost horizontal position. They swim slowly. In general, the nature of these fish is surprisingly calm and meek, seahorses do not show aggression towards fellow tribesmen and other fish.

They feed on plankton. They track down the smallest crustaceans, rolling their eyes funny. As soon as the prey approaches the miniature hunter, the seahorse puffs out its cheeks, creating negative pressure in the oral cavity and sucks the crustacean like a vacuum cleaner. Despite their small size, skates are big eaters and can indulge in gluttony up to 10 hours a day.

Seahorses have only three small fins: the dorsal fin helps them swim forward, and the two gill fins maintain vertical balance and serve as a rudder.

In a moment of danger, seahorses can significantly speed up their movement, flapping their fins up to 35 times per second (some scientists even call the number 70). Masterfully they succeed and vertical maneuvers. By changing the volume of the swim bladder, these fish move up and down in a spiral. However, seahorses are not capable of swimming fast - they are considered the record holders for the slowest swimming among known fish. Most of the time, the seahorse hangs motionless in the water, catching its tail on algae, coral, or even the neck of a relative.

Skates can ride "on horseback" on fish. Due to their curved tail, seahorses can travel long distances. They grab the perch's fins and hold on until the fish swims into the algae. And the skates grab their pair with their tail and swim in an embrace.

The eyes of seahorses are large, the vision is quite sharp. Their tail is crocheted to the stomach, and their heads are decorated with horns of various shapes.

The eyes of skates move independently from one another. The organ of vision in a seahorse is similar to the eyes of a chameleon. One eye of these fish can look forward, and the other can see what is happening behind.

Seahorses have the ability to change the color of their body, which allows them to skillfully disguise themselves in thickets and among the bottom landscape. A lurking seahorse is almost impossible to see in ambush unless you look very closely. The ability to disguise is necessary for seahorses both for protection and for successful hunting, because they are active predators.

In the seas washing the shores of Russia, seahorses are represented by only two or three species - the Black Sea seahorse: found in the Black and Seas of Azov, as well as the Japanese seahorse living in the Sea of ​​Japan. Occasionally in the Black Sea you can meet a long-snouted seahorse, common in the seas of the Mediterranean basin. For permanent residence seahorses choose quieter places; they do not like rough currents and noisy tidal waves.

Seahorses are monogamous fish, they live in married couples, but can periodically change partners. Characteristically, these fish bear eggs, with males and females changing roles. During the mating season, a tubular ovipositor grows in females, and in the male, thickened folds in the tail area form a bag. Before spawning, partners perform a long mating dance.

The female lays the eggs in the male's pouch and he incubates them for about 2 weeks. Newborn fry exit the pouch through a narrow opening. Sea dragons do not have a bag and carry eggs on the tail stalk. The fertility of different species ranges from 5 to 1500 fry. Newborn fish are completely independent and move away from the parent pair.

Among the seahorses there are also very small representatives, a couple of centimeters in size, there are also, in a way, giants up to 30 centimeters long. The smallest species, the pygmy seahorse, is found in the Gulf of Mexico. Its length does not exceed four centimeters. In Black and mediterranean seas you can meet a long-faced or spotted seahorse, the length of which 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 about 14 centimeters, are painted brightly and variegatedly, some are speckled, others are striped. The largest seahorses are found near Australia.

The life expectancy of seahorses is, on average, 3-4 years. The extreme survivability of these fish is known - being taken out of the water, they can live for several hours and return to normal life if they are released into their native element.

natural enemies seahorses have few - its body is extremely bony and covered with bony formations. Therefore, it is hunted only by a large land crab, which is able to digest such indigestible prey. Seahorses are not dangerous to humans. This is a peaceful harmless fish, besides it is very small.

Man himself is a great danger to seahorses. Today, seahorses are on the verge of extinction - their population is rapidly declining. 30 species of seahorses out of 32 are listed in the Red Book, known to science. There are many reasons for this, and one of them is the massive capture of skates off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines. The exotic appearance of the fish doomed them to people using them as souvenirs and gifts.

A separate point in the decline in the number of seahorse populations is the fact that the taste of these fish is extremely appreciated by gourmets. Liver and caviar of seahorses are considered a delicacy, although they have some laxative properties. A seahorse dish costs up to $800 per serving in some restaurants.

A huge number of seahorses (according to some estimates - up to 80 million horses a year) are used in the countries of the Pacific region of Asia and in Australia for the production of medicines and potions. These medicines are used as pain relievers for coughs and asthma, and also as a remedy for impotence. IN last years This Far Eastern "Viagra" has become popular in Europe. ABOUT healing properties people have known seahorse meat since ancient times. Seahorses have been used to prepare various medicines and potions in many countries.

Keeping seahorses in aquariums is not very easy, they are demanding on food and prone to disease, but it is very interesting to watch them.

Seahorses can sing. During the period of mating games, they perform peculiar dances around their partners and partners and accompany themselves with clicking sounds, the pace of which can change.

Based on anatomical, molecular and genetic research it was revealed that the seahorse is a highly modified pipefish. Fossilized remains of seahorses are quite rare. The most studied fossils of the species Hippocampus guttulatus (synonym - H. ramulosus) from the formations of the Marecchia River (Italian province of Rimini). These findings are dated to the Lower Pliocene (about 3 million years ago). The earliest seahorse fossils are considered to be two Middle Miocene needle-like species Hippocampus sarmaticus and Hippocampus slovenicus found in Slovenia. Their age is estimated at 13 million years. According to the molecular clock method, the species of seahorses and needlefish split in the Late Oligocene. There is a theory that this genus appeared in response to the emergence of large areas of shallow water, which was caused by tectonic events. The appearance of vast shallows led to the spread of algae, and, as a result, the animals living in this environment.

Reproduction of seahorses living in tropical seas and inhabiting temperate latitudes, is slightly different.

In tropical species, it is quite common to see how males greet females at the first rays of the sun, swimming around their chosen ones and, probably, confirming their readiness for breeding. It is noted that the chest area of ​​the male is stained in dark color, he bows his head and thus makes circles around the female, touching the bottom with his tail. At the same time, the female does not budge, but spins around her axis after the male. Male seahorses belonging to species from temperate zones, on the contrary, inflate their bag, which makes the stretched skin almost white.


During the breeding season, this ritual of greeting is repeated every morning, after which the pair proceeds to "breakfast", remaining in a relatively limited area. At the same time, partners try not to let each other out of their sight. As the moment of mating approaches, the ritual of greeting lasts all day.

It is very important that the fish mature at the same time. On the day when mating takes place, the ritual becomes more frequent. At some point, the female suddenly raises her head and begins to swim up, and the male follows her. At this stage, the female's ovipositor becomes visible, and the male's pouch opens. The female inserts the ovipositor into the opening of the pouch and lays eggs within a few seconds.

If one of the partners is not ready, then spawning is interrupted and everything starts anew. The number of eggs depends, as a rule, on the size of the male (it can be a small, young male, and an adult specimen) and on the type of fish. Some species produce from 30 to 60 eggs for spawning, others - about 500 or more. Synchronization is important

For mating, it is very important that the sex products of both partners mature at the same time. For long-established pairs, mating occurs without a hitch at any time of the day, while for newly formed pairs, one of the partners must wait for the other and remain “fully ready” for several days.

The moment of hatching of fry is also extremely important for many fish. Seahorses are guided by the times of high and low tides, when the current is strongest and can guarantee a wide distribution of offspring. The tides are regulated by the lunar cycle and are especially intense during the full moon. Therefore, it is not surprising that seahorses breed most actively during certain phases of the moon.

The species I observed was reproductive during the full moon, and the birth of fry - four weeks after spawning - again fell on full moon, and after a few days the males were ready to accept a new clutch. During the breeding season, spawning was repeated every four weeks.

The fry hatched in the father's bag and immediately left it. A lot of fry appear at the same time, which makes the male arch his body forward from time to time in order to push them out. Seahorse fry are left to themselves, because after hatching, their parents stop caring for them.

In some species, fry lead a pelagic way of life and drift with the flow, in others they remain in one place. In close relatives of seapikes, the breeding process is basically the same, however, seahorses are the only members of their family that completely hide their eggs in the skin. The rest use folds of skin, which cover the caviar or attach it to special recesses in the body.

The reason for such care of seahorses for offspring may be that in the thickets of grass where fish live, a large number of invertebrates for which caviar serves as food.

In free-swimming pipefish and dragons, such contact is rare, so there is no need for additional protection of offspring. The evolution of role reversal But how did the role reversal occur, as a result of which males of the Syngnathidae family began to bear eggs?

Of course, one can only guess about this, but if you look closely at the fish of related families with the usual breeding process, then a certain conclusion arises about how everything could be.

Like many fishes, among the ancestors of syngnatids, spawning probably proceeded as follows: the male and female moved synchronously upwards and simultaneously excreted eggs and milk. After fertilization, the eggs were carried away by the current, or they settled and stuck, for example, on the stalks of sea grass. If such “sticky” eggs successfully developed and the fry survived, then it can be assumed that stickiness only increased in subsequent generations. And then, probably, individual eggs were glued to the abdomen of the male, which gave them the best chance of survival and protection from predators.

If everything was so, then in the process of evolution, fish improved such “care for offspring”.

Seahorses were the first fish in marine aquariums Japan and Europe. Many species are not only successfully kept in captivity, but also breed, but this occupation requires a lot of effort and time. IN scientific publications, there is not a single line about the maintenance and breeding of skates in aquariums, however, messages about this appear in aquarium magazines, which, however, are not widely distributed.

Personally, I wrote an article about aquarium breeding sea ​​dragons from caviar, that is, about fish that are recognized as unsuitable for an aquarium. After appearing in a recognized magazine, these fish and their breeding methods very quickly became objects of interest, especially for public aquariums.

live food

Many aquarists breed seahorses, and many public aquariums breed these fish. It mainly takes place in Europe, Japan and Singapore.

Interestingly, many breed australian view H. abdominalis, a fairly large pipit that easily adapts to captivity.

I have been able to propagate H. whitei from Sydney and H. abdominalis and H. breviceps from Melbourne. In principle, everything is not so difficult. All it takes is a good sea ​​water, an aquarium, scenery imitating a natural biotope, and a regular supply of fish with quality food.

The latter can be a problem, especially if the hobbyist does not have a good and nutritious frozen food. I had a similar situation, so every second day I had to go to the sea and dive to catch food for my skates.

But through so many efforts, breeding these fish was no problem.

I started in 1980 breeding H. breviceps and H. abdominalis with the goal of photographing the birth of the fry. However, as it soon became clear, this task was not at all an easy one. I still could not get to the right moment and usually found the hatched fry in the morning hours. It took several months before I managed to catch the moment of "delivery", which proceeds very quickly.

"One-Eyed Bandit"

In 1992 I decided to take up tropical species seahorses more seriously. In Sydney harbor I caught four male and three female H. whitei. One of the males was one-eyed, and another was "pregnant."

I planted them in a one square aquarium square meter and a height of 50 cm. The water temperature was a little over 20°C - an absolutely normal indicator for this species. Of all the animals, only two formed a pair and, seven days after the birth of the fry, they began mating, the rest of the “non-pregnant” males began to care for all the females in a row.

The one-eyed male did not lag behind the others and more and more often won the attention of one of the females carrying eggs, but in the subsequent “dance ritual”, describing circles around his chosen one, he suddenly lost sight of her.

As far as I can tell, he didn't have a successful mating. Also, the males tried to expel a friend, thereby getting rid of competitors. They bit their rivals, which was accompanied by a clicking sound. Such behavior prevented the not yet mated skates from "tuning in" to each other: once, for example, the eggs fell past the male's pouch.

Often dark-chested males chased females, but there was no noticeable reaction from the latter. Once a one-eyed male undertook to "besiege" a very large female with big amount caviar, which, however, did not reciprocate and found another male. True, he showed no interest in her.

IN next year partners often changed each other, and males continued to see each other only as rivals. For example, one who had just given birth to fry began to besiege another "pregnant" male, who first hid behind "his" female, but was later driven out into a line of furious clicks.

1000 fry per season

At intervals of four weeks, fry appeared on my skates, which I raised in a common aquarium. They grew very quickly, but for this I had to regularly catch food in the ocean that the fry could swallow.

The number of fry was so great that I could not leave all of them in the aquarium, therefore, after growing up the fry, I released them into the ocean, about 50 to 200 individuals per month. At birth, the length of the fry reached 12 mm, and within two weeks they grew twice.

A year later, the health of my "savages" deteriorated, and they stopped spawning. On average, each couple produced 80 fry per month, that is, more than 1000 during the year. Interestingly, the reproductive activity of couples increased, as in nature, during the full moon. Soon, the few fry that I kept for myself began to multiply.

"Eternal love"?

My intensive breeding of seahorses was caused not only by own desire to observe the mating and birth of fish, but also the numerous requests of other aquarists who were interested in these processes.

Much of what I saw, I could not find an explanation. For example, during a strong storm, all the seahorses gathered at the top of the seagrass stalk, forming a kind of vine. Yes, and the mating itself was fraught with several surprises.

For example, my seahorses turned out to be not so monogamous as described in the literature!

While filming a view of H. breviceps one day, I noticed how one of the females intervened at the moment of mating and transferred her eggs into the male's already open pouch. On another occasion, a male took eggs from two females at once.

And although these observations were made in an aquarium, I am sure that similar things happen in nature. It seems to me that the assumption of monogamy in seahorses has no basis. Observations in vivo last a short time and do not give a hint of how the animals will behave in a year.

Mating requires synchronous maturation, and in this sense, pipits are no different from other reef fish, so I can imagine that in the height of the breeding season it is very difficult to find a new partner.

In such conditions, it is quite advisable for partners to remain together during the entire breeding season.

However, for most species, if not all, caring for offspring is a "seasonal job", and this season depends on climate changes in the corresponding geographical area.

In the tropics, skates start spawning immediately after the rainy season, and in subtropical zones in the spring, when there should be enough food in the water for the juveniles. After the breeding season, the animals seem to disperse and go (or better, swim) their own way. Some species migrate to other zones, often to depths. Sometimes at this time I came across reefs on which there were only males or only females, so it seems to me that in nature, seahorses form their pairs only at the beginning of the breeding season.

Seahorses have always amazed 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 species of fish appeared about forty million years ago. They got their name because of the similarity with the horse chess piece.

The structure of seahorses

The fish are small. The largest representative of this species has a body length of 30 centimeters and is considered a giant. Most seahorses have modest sizes 10-12 centimeters.

There are also quite miniature representatives of this species - dwarf fish. Their dimensions are only 13 millimeters. There are individuals smaller than 3 millimeters in size.

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

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

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

Seahorses swim very unusually. Their body is kept vertically in the water during movement. This position is provided 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 with vertical position in the water when moving. In the water column, the fish move due to the wave-like movements of the dorsal and pectoral fins. The oscillation frequency of the fins is seventy beats per minute.

Seahorses differ from most fish in that they do not have scales. Their body cover the bone plates, united in 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 the dried shell of a skate with his hands.

Despite the fact that the head of the seahorse 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 problems with the review.

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

The tail of a seahorse is very unusual. He twisted and very flexible. With its help, fish cling to corals and algae when hiding.

At first glance, it seems that seahorses were not supposed to survive in harsh sea conditions: they slow and defenseless. In fact, the fish flourished until a certain time. In this they were helped by the ability to mimicry.

Evolutionary processes have led to the fact that seahorses are easily merge with the surrounding area. At the same time, they can change the color of their body both completely and partially. This is quite enough to marine predators could not notice the skates if they hid.

By the way, these marine inhabitants use the ability to change the color of their body in marriage games. With the help of "color music" of the body, males attract females.

Most people believe that these fish feed on vegetation. This is an erroneous opinion. In fact, these marine fish, for all their seeming harmlessness and inactivity, are notorious predators. The basis of their diet is plankton. Artemia shrimp and shrimp is their favorite treat.

If you carefully consider the elongated snout of the skate, you can see that it ends with 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 its prey.

It is worth noting that these sea ​​fish pretty voracious. They can hunt for 10 hours straight. During this time they destroy up to 3500 crustaceans. And this is with a stigma length of no more than 1 millimeter.

Skate breeding

Seahorses are monogamous. If a couple is formed, it will not break up until the death of one of the partners, which is not uncommon in the living world. What's really amazing is that birth of offspring by males and not females.

It happens in the following way. During love games the female, using a special papilla, introduces eggs into the hatching bag of the male. This is where fertilization takes place. Then, males carry offspring for 20, and sometimes 40 days.

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

It is noteworthy that males continue to take care of the 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 to create special conditions for survival:

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. So, you need to create similar conditions for them in the aquarium. You can use the following elements for this:

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

An important requirement is that all elements should not have sharp edges that can 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. Feed the skates in the aquarium should be at least twice a day. Once a week, you can pamper them with live food:

  • krill;
  • brine shrimp;
  • live shrimp.

Seahorses cannot compete for food with aggressive fish. Therefore, the choice of comrades for them is limited. Mainly snails of different types: astrea, turbo, nerite, troshus, 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 marine life before starting your first pack.