Dwarf seahorse ( Dwarf Seahorse) V natural conditions inhabits coastal waters western part Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and continental shelf of the southeastern United States. Hippocampus zosterae prefers to stay in densely overgrown areas seaweed, and is also found among floating vegetation, mangrove roots and near coral reefs. These skates are difficult to keep in an aquarium, so they can only be recommended to experienced aquarists.
The head of hippocampus zosterae is located at right angles to the body. The skate moves in a vertical position using its dorsal fin, controlling the movement of its pectoral fins located on both sides behind the head. The horse has a tenacious tail, with the help of which it is attached to corals, grass and any other objects. The skin of the skate's body is very thin. Young pipits, unlike their adult relatives, have disproportionately large heads compared to their bodies. Pygmy pipits come in beige, yellow, green and black colors with white speckles or dark spots. Males, compared to females, have a longer body and tail. The pygmy seahorse is one of the smallest varieties of seahorse, measuring about 2-2.5 cm. Maximum size the male that was recorded in nature was 5 cm.
The pygmy seahorse is a peace-loving creature. Despite the fact that they swim relatively slowly, they are nevertheless successful hunters and if they start hunting, they are unlikely to be left without prey. It is advisable to keep skates in pairs, although it is possible to keep them alone. An aquarium with a volume of 40 liters or more can contain 2 pairs of skates. Pygmy pipits can be kept in both species and community aquarium with small species of marine fish that will not be able to encroach on the life of the skates. This species of pipits leads a sedentary lifestyle and spends almost its entire life in the same protected area. The male in nature lives in a territory of approximately 1 m2, rarely leaving it only during spawning. On the other hand, females constantly wander from one male to another.
Water for keeping dwarf seahorses should have the following parameters: temperature 22-27°C, hardness dH 8-12°, acidity pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025. Filtration and aeration of water is necessary. Water circulation should be minimal.
The soil in the aquarium should be sandy. It is advisable to place living stones at the bottom, among the vegetation of which various small crustaceans live. You also need to place several branches of corals or their artificial analogues in the aquarium.
The favorite food of pygmy skates are various small crustaceans. The crustaceans are constantly on guard, never losing vigilance; in the event of even a slight fluctuation in the water, they quickly hide in shelters, however, this does not save them from skates, the hunt of which is successful in 90% of cases.
Reproduction
Dwarf breeding season seahorses starts in mid-February and ends at the end of October, depending on the duration daylight hours and water temperature. While courting a female, the male approaches her, causing them to cling to each other. At the same time, the male’s special pocket opens slightly, into which the female lays several eggs. A male can have about a hundred embryos in his pocket at one time. After the female has spawned, she loses interest in the male and swims away, and the male himself bears the future offspring. During the breeding season, pygmy pipits produce offspring every month.
The lifespan of pygmy pipits is about 4 years.
Admin site01/11/2017 at 21:34 Moscow time 4 869
The seahorse is a fish unique in nature, with interesting shape torso.
At first glance, it looks very similar to one of the most recognizable chess pieces.
There are more than 50 species of these creatures in the world, but only thirty-two species have been studied in detail.
In addition, anthropologists have made sensational conclusions based on the prehistoric fossil remains found; they say that in the past it was specifically a modified needle fish.
An interesting ability of these sea creatures thing is the male becomes the breeder of offspring. We will consider the process itself in detail a little later.
Appearance
The appearance and body structure of this species of fish are able to adapt to any environment. Once in an area that strongly reveals its appearance, it immediately changes the appearance of its color in a few minutes, like a chameleon, and merges with the underwater environment.
His body is endowed with many spines of different sizes, the ribbon-like leathery outgrowths that are on his body are also capable of hiding him in depths of the sea ah from the eyes of a predator and potential victims.
There are at least two popular types of these wonderful creatures. The dwarf pipit has a body length not exceeding 2.5 cm. It lives in Gulf of Mexico, and the Malayan type of skate is quite larger than its aforementioned counterpart, the length of its body can reach up to 25 centimeters.
The low mobility of this fish is ensured by its eyes, which have a remarkable ability. The eyeballs are able to move independently of each other, thereby increasing the horizons.
Range and habitat
This species is common in areas with subtropical climate from the coast of Indonesia to Australia. He also lives along Atlantic shores Europe, North America and Africa. Little-studied species live in the waters of the Pacific Ocean closer to the shores of the United States.
Habitat
Overgrown shallow sea perfect place accommodation for this fish. It also actively inhabits swampy or sandy water surroundings.
Lifestyle
This fish is predominantly solitary and sedentary lifestyle life, in order not to drift during the ebb and flow of the tide, it clings to algae or corals with its flexible and powerful tail.
It is worth noting that most During their life, they are in shallow water, on a slight current with a water temperature of at least +25. The current carries great amount plankton necessary for nutrition. Movement in the water is carried out using the spinal fin, which carries out more than 30 strokes in one second.
Nutrition
His diet is very meager; the daily menu includes:
- plankton;
- small fish
- crustaceans;
- shrimps;
He himself becomes a victim of enemies very rarely, since he is a master of disguise. Thanks to this, the victim, without noticing the danger, approaches him, having a tubular snout, the horse is able to suck it in at a distance of three centimeters.
Enemies
Due to its anatomical structure of the skeleton, not every enemy is able to digest its numerous small but very strong bones.
The land crab is the single most dangerous and ruthless enemy for this type of fish.
Reproduction
The reverse distribution of roles between male and female makes this species even more mysterious. The breeding season in tropical warm waters can occur all year round, in the cold - in spring and summer.
During mating season the male makes sounds reminiscent of snapping fingers so that her gaze falls on him. After a while, the female reciprocates and approaches him. Taking this opportunity, we would like to invite you to listen to our huge collection of sounds from the category: .
In special pocket, located under the male’s tail, the female throws in a huge amount of fertilized eggs, providing him with further care for the future offspring, and she disappears away to mate with other males.
The development time of eggs may vary depending on the water temperature. IN warm water it is no more than 14 days, and in cold weather 28 days. To feed the fry, the male secretes a special liquid into his sac.
When the offspring are mature, the male releases the fry, which can already swim, into the wild. Their number depends on the species, the minimum can be 50, the maximum more than 1000 individuals.
Many people wonder: why is the seahorse upright? We decided to look into it and answer this interesting question. .
The reason is this; The stabilizing swim bladder of this fish is located along the entire body and is divided by a septum separating top part bodies from the rest.
As a result, the head bladder turns out to be larger than the abdominal one; it is this arrangement of the bladder that provides the fish with a vertical position.
Red Book
Irreparable harm to the taxon is caused by fishing trawls, which destroy the seabed along with the natural habitat of the marine organism.
Currently, all types of skates are included in the Red Book and are strictly protected by law. There are plenty of reasons for this, such as; While you are reading this post, illegal fishing for this exotic creature is underway off the coast of Malaysia. In these countries it is a delicacy and is very popular among tourists..
Lifespan
IN wildlife this interesting view fish can exist no more than 7 years.
Related species
Today, our hero’s closest relative is the stickleback fish.
- Some species marine organisms is in danger of disappearing completely.
- Swims while in an upright position.
- Souvenirs depicting this fish are actively purchased by tourists in East Asia.
- The liver and eyes of this fish are considered a delicacy; in fish restaurants, a serving of this dish can cost up to $1,000.
- The male himself is responsible for breeding the offspring.
The 16th century French naturalist Guillaume Rondelet, one of the first to publish a fundamental work on sea fish, described the seahorse as a cross between insects and primitive coelenterates. It is not surprising, because this creature amazes with its unusual appearance. But modern scientists have come to the conclusion that seahorses are still fish. Indeed, they breathe through gills, have a swim bladder that allows them to control buoyancy, and are able to spawn. That's just sea Horse- this is a very special fish, and how more people studies it the more interesting facts finds out:
The seahorse is a fish, but it has no scales. The bodies of these creatures are covered with hard plates that form a kind of exoskeleton. This makes them unattractive prey for a number of predators. By the way, they also have an internal skeleton. 
Sea Horses there are different sizes: Tiny like a pine nut and big like a banana. Largest representatives of this tribe belong to the species Hippocampus abdominalis, also known as the pot-bellied seahorse. They can reach 35 cm and live in waters South Australia and New Zealand. The smallest of known species called a seahorse Satomi(Hippocampus satomiae), it was described by biologists in 2008. Its size is only one and a half centimeters, and its place of residence is the waters of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. 
Today there are approximately 54 species of seahorses around the world, although there is no consensus on their number. Identifying these animals is a very difficult task because individuals of the same species can vary greatly in appearance. In addition, researchers continue to find new species.
It doesn't matter if seahorses swim. The pygmy seahorse holds the record for slowness, developing “fantastic” speed: 1.5 meters per hour. It is not surprising that skates spend most of their time standing “anchored,” that is, clinging to something stationary with their flexible tail.
But seahorses are avid hitchhikers. They can travel long distances by clinging to floating algae and debris. This allows you to save energy, but during a storm, travelers are constantly at risk of being thrown ashore along with their unreliable watercraft. 
Seahorses move using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second. The pectoral fins, which are even smaller in size, are located closer to the back of the head and serve purely for steering. These fish are very maneuverable: they can easily move up, down, forward and backward.
Seahorses have no teeth and no stomach. Food passes through their digestive system so quickly that they have to eat almost continuously. These creatures are capable of eating more 3000 microscopic crustaceans per day. Left without food, they can quickly die from exhaustion.
The graceful faces of these animals, from which they get their name, act like a vacuum cleaner pipe. When prey swims nearby, the skate sharply sucks it in. If the prey is too large, the seahorse's mouth may expand slightly. 
Seahorses' eyes operate independently of each other, allowing them to monitor the space around them without moving or revealing their presence. This means they can look forward and backward at the same time! This feature is very useful because these animals hunt using their vision. And theirs is excellent.
These underwater inhabitants are specialists in camouflage. Some species can change the color of their body to blend in with their environment, while others are born indistinguishable from a sprig of coral or a fragment of algae.
Seahorses can communicate with each other by making clicking or smacking sounds. Most often this happens during eating and courtship. 
Seahorses have a complex and lengthy courtship ritual. The male can woo the female for several days. As if dancing, they copy each other’s movements for several hours or intertwine their tails. Already established couples can “dance” every day, strengthening their bond with each other. Those types of skates that are able to change color use this opportunity during mating games.
Some species of seahorses are monogamous, while others only stay together during mating season.
The most amazing feature these animals are theirs unique way reproduction. The female spawns like a regular fish, but the eggs are placed in a special sac located on the front of the male's body. He fertilizes her and carries her in his rounded belly. Daddy's gestation period varies from 14 days to 4 weeks. The number of eggs can range from 50-150 for small species and up to 1500 for larger ones. Childbirth is accompanied by contractions and can last up to 12 hours. 
Newborn seahorses look like miniature versions of their parents, do not need their help and immediately go to independent travel. During the first weeks of their lives, they drift aimlessly along with the plankton and are vulnerable to many predators. Less than one in a hundred escapes the fate of becoming someone's prey and reaches adulthood.
Many people associate the seahorse with southern seas and hot countries, but these are not such pampered animals. They are found not only in the tropics, but also off the coast of Great Britain and Eastern Canada. Even in Black and Seas of Azov, where the water is not salty enough for most tropical fish, one species of seahorse can be found. 
The average lifespan of seahorses is between 4 – 6 years. However, many species are endangered due to overfishing. In particular, more than 20 million pipits are captured annually for traditional Chinese medicine. Other factors that negatively affect their numbers include ocean pollution and the degradation of coral reefs.
Hello, my dear young readers and wise parents! In the "Projects" section new topic! "ShkolaLa" helps prepare a report about the seahorse. Whatever class you are in primary school, a report about this inhabitant of the sea will be an indispensable highlight in a lesson on the surrounding world. Read it and you will understand why.
Lesson plan:
What kind of animal is a seahorse?
This aquatic inhabitant with an extraordinary appearance, he doesn’t look like a fish at all. But in fact, it belongs to the needle-shaped fish family. Most of all, he looks like a chess piece, which is why he was probably nicknamed that.
The body is crocheted, the back is humped, the abdomen is forward. Yes, and he has a horse’s head, and his mouth, elongated into a tube, resembles a muzzle, and when he moves he relies on a tail curled into a ring.
Why not a miniature horse!
This fish is also called a dragon, since many species really resemble this one fairy tale character with their wings spread to the sides, except that there are not three heads, but only one!
In total, there are up to 50 species of seahorses, the size of which can be up to 30 centimeters. But the smallest of them is a dwarf, he is only 2 centimeters tall. Almost 30 species are listed in the Red Book.
This is interesting! Scientists' research has proven that the seahorse's closest relative is the needle fish, from which it separated as much as 23 million years ago! Today, the fish has preserved numerous long spines from its ancestor.
Where can you see a seahorse? He lives in the tropics and subtropics. His home is a thicket of algae and Coral reefs The Black Sea, the Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean, the coast of Australia, the Japanese Yellow Sea and the Russian Azov Sea.
This is interesting! Seahorses are excellent at playing hide and seek and master the art of camouflage to perfection. They have special cells - chromatophores, which color the skate to match its environment. At the same time, you can only see an aquatic chameleon by its nose sticking out of the algae.
Most often, miniature horses are brown, yellowish or green shades, but those that live among the corals are red and purple. Like a Christmas tree toy, such ponies hang in the depths of the sea, their tails catching on the plants.
How do seahorses swim?
It is difficult to call a seahorse a fish also because it does not swim like everyone else. Its body is located vertically in the water. The swim bladder running along the body helps him maintain balance. It is divided into two parts: the head is larger than the abdominal, so the skate swims upright.
By changing the volume of gas in the bubble, the fish cruises, rising upward and also plunging to depth. If something happens to the skate's bladder, it has no choice but to lie still until it dies.
This is interesting! Dwarf representatives are the slowest fish in the world. They move, as they say, “a teaspoon per hour” - only one and a half meters in 60 minutes.
The tail of the fish is very flexible and without fins; the seahorse uses it like an anchor, clinging to corals and plants. By the way, he can hug his girlfriend with it.
But it cannot row using its tail. For this purpose, there is a movable fin on the back and a pair pectoral fins.
Given this structure, the seahorse is a poor swimmer, and he strives to compete, spending most of his time in a suspended state, looking around.
What's on the seahorse's menu?
The water horse feeds on plankton - small crustaceans, which it tracks by actively rotating its eyes. The fish's tiny mouth is located at the end of its tube-like muzzle.
As soon as the food approaches the little hunter, he puffs out his cheeks and, like a vacuum cleaner, strongly sucks up the crustaceans.
This is interesting! These fish have neither teeth nor stomach. Their digestive organs are like a ramjet engine that constantly needs to be refueled.
Tiny horses can hang around for up to 10 hours waiting for food, they don’t really need to hunt, just sit in one place and lunch floats by. Moreover, as we already understood, he is not much of a swimmer. So in a day a lazy glutton eats up to 3.5 thousand crustaceans.
Pregnant dads
Yes, yes, we were not mistaken! This is exactly the only case when pregnancy is not a woman’s business. In seahorses, males bear their offspring! For this purpose, the male has a kangaroo-like pouch on his abdomen, where the eggs are laid.
Of these, up to 1,500 miniature seahorses appear after 40 days.
This is interesting! The seahorse is the only fish that has a neck.
But all these days, the frivolous mother visits her friend only in the morning, blithely sailing away after five minutes of the meeting until the next day to go about her business. Or maybe forget about him completely!
Even after birth, dad takes care of the offspring: at the first danger, he gives them a signal, and they instantly hide safely in his bag.
Do seahorses have enemies?
Although the body of a seahorse is covered with a hard bony shell and spines, and the fish is too tough for most, it can become dinner for crabs or stingrays.
However, the most great danger for him is a person. The unique appearance of the fish and its beneficial features became the reason for mass fishing.
Seahorses are caught for souvenirs, for preparing expensive oriental dishes and for medicinal purposes.
This is interesting! When searching for food, as well as for vigilance, these fish manage to look with both eyes simultaneously in different directions. And their visual organs can look like this: one is forward, and the other controls what is happening behind.
They try to keep exotic seahorses in aquariums, but they do not adapt well to the artificial environment. If nothing threatens the fish, then it can live up to 5 years.
This is how we briefly talked about amazing creature with the body of a horse, the pouch of a kangaroo, the rotating eyes of a chameleon and the prehensile tail of a monkey.
I hope you will interest the whole class with your story. And for clarity, print out photographs of these exotic fish or, if possible, show them this video. Let the kids see that they are truly unique.
See you again on the “ShkolaLa” blog and in the “Projects” section
Good luck in your studies!
Evgenia Klimkovich
The seahorse is an amazing and unusual representative of tropical waters. Its appearance and some features of life differ from representatives marine environment. Among connoisseurs of such individuals, a common question is: is a seahorse a fish or an animal? The answer to it is simple - the individual belongs to the animal kingdom and the class of Ray-finned fish. After many years of research, scientists have proven that the animal is a close relative of the pipefish.
The seahorse belongs to the animal kingdom and the class of ray-finned fish
General information
Since the animal is considered a highly modified species of pipefish, it belongs to the order Aciliformes. The unusual body of the skate really resembles a chess piece. Perhaps this was the reason to give the animal such a name.
IN natural environment The pipit can be found in subtropical and tropical waters around the world. Salty and maximum pure water - best condition for his comfortable stay. The size of the seahorse is small and ranges from 2 to 30−32 cm. It is quite rare to find individuals that reach 35 cm in length.
There are many theories about where the seahorse lives, as it has been seen in different corners planets. Most often the animal can be found in water bodies of Australia, sometimes England. Sometimes individual species found in the Azov and Black Seas. It prefers to stay close to the bottom and uses algae as cover, camouflaging itself in their thickets and changing color according to the color they are painted in.
The seahorse prefers to be at the bottom of the reservoir and hide in the algae The body of the fish is covered with a very hard and bony shell., which protects against negative influences environment. Often the body has spines of different lengths and shapes, some are covered with long ribbon-like processes different color. Surprisingly, this fish has no scales. A special feature of the structure will be the head, since it is very firmly attached to the body and does not rotate. If the horse wants to look back, it turns its whole body or bulges its eyes.
Each eye moves separately from the other. This feature is also inherent in chameleons, which can rotate each eye separately in a circle. There is some debate about how long seahorses live, as they usually live up to 4 years, but in some cases you can find representatives who live up to 6 years.
Another feature of the fish is its vertical position in the water. This is possible due to the fact that the swim bladder is divided into two sections by a thin septum and allows it to maintain a vertical position.
Popular types
There are about 50 species of seahorses in their natural habitat. Each of them differs in size, appearance and some structural features. The most common are the following:
In Southern Japan you can find dwarf individuals. They are painted in light colors with purple stripes or spots. They camouflage well as corals. They have a body length of no more than 3 cm. They prefer not to descend to a depth of more than 40 meters.
Nutritional Features
Amazing fish are one of the few species that are not the hunt is on from other inhabitants of the deep sea. It's all about the structure of the individuals, in which spines and bone plates predominate. Large animals are unable to digest such food. predatory fish or other hunters. The only one who can eat the skate is the sand crab, whose stomach is able to digest what it eats.
The skates themselves feed on plankton.
The favorite delicacy of these unusual fish is baby crayfish and other small fish. Thanks to the amazing ability of the skate to camouflage itself and remain motionless for several hours, it successfully hunts them. It waits for the moment when the victim approaches and sucks it along with water into its mouth.
Seahorses do not have a stomach. That's why they are very gluttonous Despite their small size, seahorses are very voracious and are capable of hunting and eating for up to 10 hours a day. a large number of small individuals. This is due to the fact that individuals do not have a stomach, so food passes through all sections quite quickly digestive system. If you keep them in captivity, Several feeding rules should be followed:
- Captive-bred specimens are capable of feeding on dead daphnia, shrimp and other small specimens, as well as dry fish food.
- The food should only be fresh.
- Individuals should be fed regularly, but avoid overeating, as in captivity this can cause a variety of diseases.
It is possible to install a variety of feeders in which food is placed. A few days after installing such an innovation, the individuals themselves will understand that this is a new place for eating. Several long rods or sticks should be installed near the feeders so that the skates can cling to them while eating.
Reproduction of seahorses
Unusual fish lead a sedentary lifestyle and are in one place almost all the time. In case of danger, they can develop decent speed or are attached to big fish so that they could move them to a safer place.
The fish is faithful and throughout his life prefers to be close to one partner. Only in in rare cases a female or a male changes his life partner. The most incredible thing will be the fact that in married couple The male bears the offspring. After the start of spawning, the couple performs a certain mating dance for a long time. After this, the female transfers the eggs to a special pocket, which is located on the male’s belly.
After 2 weeks of gestation, the fry emerge from the pocket, are already independent and immediately set off for free swimming. Different kinds Pipits are distinguished by their fertility and can lay from 5 to 2000 eggs at a time.
Breeding skates in captivity is quite difficult and an aquarium hobbyist will not be able to cope with it. Despite the fact that individuals are quite popular among aquarists, keeping them in an artificial environment has many nuances. If the conditions are not met, they begin to get sick and die.
Currently seahorses different types are on the verge of extinction. This is due to the fact that in many countries fish is considered an expensive delicacy, and is caught in industrial scale. In some regions of Australia and Asia, skates are used as raw materials for the preparation of various ointments and medications.
ABOUT healing properties meat of this amazing fish Humanity has known it since ancient times and included it in many dishes. However, then amateur fishing could not significantly reduce the number of individuals. Now, catching has really become a problem, as it is gradually leading to the complete disappearance of the species.
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