Rare horse-shaped fish

The sea horse is one of the strangest animals in the aquatic world. Not only is it striking for its body that looks like a horse, but its entire structure and behavior is also different from other types of fish.

They can be found in tropical and temperate waters around the world. They live among corals, algae and mangroves. In some species, the females can be territorial (delimit and defend their space), being able to cover up to 100 m² of territory.

There are more than 54 different species that can measure from 1.5 to 35 cm. Pollution, massive fishing and the deterioration of their habitat have brought some species to the brink of extinction.

Fun facts

• Seahorses are monogamous, this means that their partner is the same for life.
• Another characteristic that distinguishes them from other fish and animals is that the male is in charge of incubating the eggs. It has an abdominal bag where the female deposits the eggs that they will be in charge of fertilizing and incubating, until the tiny little horses come out.
• The body of seahorses lacks scales and is covered by a series of bony plates or rings that form a kind of armor.
• The way they swim is also particular, their body is always vertical and they propel themselves with the dorsal fin that moves 35 times per second. The pectorals serve as a rudder to go in one direction or another.
• In fact, they are very poor swimmers, they can get tired and even succumb exhausted when they go against the current.
• With their tails they anchor to algae and corals on the seabed, while at the same time consuming small crustaceans and plankton with their snouts.