The Unusual Life of Seahorses
by Abigail Gezae, age 9
Did you know seahorses are the only fish that experience male pregnancy? The male seahorse carries the female’s eggs.
You are probably wondering how males incubate and carry the eggs. Male seahorses have a brood pouch, which sits at the bottom of their stomach. The baby seahorse grows inside this brood pouch that acts as a carrier and incubator.
While their pouches are unique, seahoses also have other interesting features. The head of a seahorse is at a right angle to its neck. Their eyes can go in different directions, which gives them a better view. Seahorses also have long snouts, so they can suck up tiny animals from seaweed and eat them.
Seahorses can grow to be between 2-12 inches long, depending on their species. Two inches is the size of a small sticky note. Twelve inches is about the size of a big book.
Seahorses live in the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. They like warm water, so they live close to land.
Seahorses are cool and interesting animals with interesting and unique characteristics!
[Sources:
The Kingfisher Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia
;
National Ocean Service
]
