Meet the Seahorse

UNIQUELY DIFFERENT

Seahorses vary in size, reaching up to 14 inches in length. They have a beautiful and unique appearance, given the name "seahorse" for their horse-like heads. They have long, tubular snouts and small, toothless mouths. They also do not have stomachs. Their food passes through their digestive systems so quickly that they must eat almost constantly in order to stay alive. Their bodies are covered with bony plates, and they have curled, prehensile tails. There are 36 species of seahorses, and they come in many different colors. (Britannica)

SALTY SEAHORSES

Seahorses cannot be kept like most other marine fish. They have special requirements different from other fish. Seahorses are saltwater fish. They cannot live in water that is not salty, and they will rarely do well in a normal marine aquarium. If you own a seahorse and plan on taking a vacation, you should arrange for a caretaker who is reliable with at least some saltwater experience. Seahorses cannot be left without food for more than a day.  (Squidoo)

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

The starting price for a seahorse is around $60 each. However, the equipment and materials needed to give a seahorse a nice environment are very expensive. Around $500 to $1,000 for a healthy setup is not uncommon. It is important to make sure that you can afford to keep a seahorse. (Advanced Aquarist)

SHRIMP FOR THOUGHT

The staple food for seahorses in captivity are frozen mysis shrimp. It is easy to be found, and can be purchased at most fish stores or even ordered online. These sea creatures should be fed at least two times a day. If you have a young seahorse, it needs to be fed three or four times a day. If you feed your seahorse only brine shrimp, it will get sick and can potentially die. However, an occasional brine treat is OK. (Seahorse.org)

NO SWIMMING, NO PROBLEM

Even though seahorses are fish, they are not good swimmers. They even prefer to rest in one area rather than swimming. Sometimes, they will hold onto the same coral or seaweed for days. Even though they beat their fins very quickly, they do not move fast. However, they are maneuverable and are able to move up and down, forward and backward. (MarineLife)

CRAZY CAMOUFLAGERS

Seahorses are capable of camouflage. An exceptionally good camouflaging seahorse is the pygmy seahorse, a tiny seahorse that is less than an inch in length, making it the smallest seahorse in the world. (Environmental Graffiti)

A HEALTHY SEAHORSE IS A HAPPY SEAHORSE

Seahorses are prone to some diseases and parasites. One of the more common parasites with which they can be affected are ectoparasites, which are external parasites. Ectoparasites infections are often caused by poor living environments. When seahorses are put through the stress of capture and transportation, and they go weeks without food, they can become susceptible to getting parasites.  (Seahorse.org)

DADDY DID WHAT?

Unlike any other species, male seahorses become pregnant. This happens when a female inserts her eggs through an oviduct that goes into the male's brood pouch. Once all the eggs have been inserted, the male goes to a nearby coral or seaweed and grabs ahold of it with his tail to wait out gestation. This can take several weeks. When the male prepares to give birth, the pouch becomes a sphere-like shape. The male then undergoes muscular contortions which can last up to 10 minutes. The baby seahorse then escapes the pouch in an explosive action. The pouch returns to its regular shape after the young seahorse leaves, and the male is then ready to give birth again within a few hours. (Davidson College)

LIVE LONG LITTLE SEAHORSE

In captivity, seahorses can live up to four years if properly cared for. The better you take care of your seahorse, the longer it will live. (Aquatic Community)