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What
are seahorses?
Despite their whimsical appearance, the seahorse is really a bony
fish. Seahorses are in the family, Syngnathidae, the same family
as seadragons and pipefish.
How
big can seahorses grow to be?
Within the 32 species of seahorses, there is a vast range of sizes.
Seahorses can vary from less than one inch in length to more than
a foot long.
What
do seahorses eat?
In the wild, seahorses eat live shrimp larvae and other small
crustaceans. Seahorses have eyes that move independently of each
other and this helps them spot food. They suck their food up through
their bony snouts, almost as if it were a straw. Because they
have no true stomachs, seahorses must eat large quantities for
food to compensate for their fast rate of digestion.
How
long do seahorses live?
Although more research is needed for a definitive answer, most
seahorses live from about one year to about four years.
Fun
Seahorse Facts
- Seahorses
are the only fish with prehensile tails-tails that are designed
to grasp or hold. They use their tails to hold onto objects-like
sea grass, coral or each other.
- The
bony plates on seahorses provide protection from predators
and in some species, make the body semi-rigid. Because of
this, seahorses don't move their bodies in a wavelike fashion
as most fish do. Instead, they glide gracefully by fanning
their delicate fins.
- Seahorses
are voracious eaters. They suck in food and swallow it whole
because they do not have teeth. They have no true stomachs,
and their food passes rapidly through their digestive systems.
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