Shore Buddies Wisdom Wednesday 06/30/2021
Image by Michael B. Hardie
The Seahorse got its name due to the horse-like shape of its head. A Seahorse’s body is covered in tiny, spiny plates. These creatures have a curled, flexible tail which allows them to grasp onto vegetation to anchor themselves in one place. Seahorses use camouflage to avoid predators and sneakily attack their prey, which includes a variety of small crustaceans. These animals have eyes that move independently from one another which also helps them to track and ambush prey. They do not have teeth or stomachs, so they must eat almost constantly to survive. Seahorses have limited predators due to its inability to be digested by many marine animals. Seahorses inhabit tropical and temperate coastal waters and can be found amongst sea grass and other types of plants. In order to reproduce, a female seahorse lays dozens of eggs in the abdominal pouch of a male seahorse. These eggs stay in the pouch of the male seahorse for up to 45 days until they are hatched. Once hatched, M&M sized baby seahorses link together using their tails and float together in clusters.
https://onekindplanet.org/animal/seahorse/
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/sea-life/seahorse-facts/