10 Facts About Seahorses
Published by These unusual fish are growing in popularity as aquarium pets, but they are becoming an endangered species, in part due to harvesting for herbology. But what does the average person actually know about seahorses? Read on to find out more about these fish.
- Science knows of almost 50 different seahorse species throughout the world.
- Seahorses, unlike most fish, do not have scales. Instead, they have bony plates beneath their thin skins.
- The oldest fossil of a seahorse is a distant relative found in Slovenia that is estimated to be about 13 million years old.
- In traditional Chinese herbology, dried seahorses are considered an aphrodisiac and good for kidney problems. The seahorses are dried and ground into powders which can then be placed in pill forms.
- In seahorses, it is the male that actually carries the fertilized eggs to gestation.
- The number of young seahorses who are born from each father varies upon the size and species of seahorse. Some seahorses only expel a half dozen or so baby seahorses, while the larger species can expel as many as 1,500 baby seahorses.
- Seahorses generally eat small shrimp or other small crustaceans. They have been known to diet on extremely small fish at times.
- Wild seahorses do not fare well in captivity. Disease is one culprit, but wild seahorses are also thought to be under immense stress when limited to their surroundings. However, seahorses bred in captivity fare much better.
- Dried seahorses on a stick are not uncommon foods to be found in China as street food.
- The slowest moving fish in the world is the dwarf seahorse, two inches long, which reportedly only swims approximately five feet per hour.
Image via Wikipedia
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On February 15, 2011 at 11:52 am
Great share. Nice work!
On February 15, 2011 at 12:47 pm
, Thank you.for the fascinating info. I might pass on the seahorse on a stick though! They are quite sweet if they like to only be out in the open sea and hate captivity.
On February 16, 2011 at 4:24 am
I like seahorses, interesting facts
Thanks hor sharing.
P.S, I’d probably pass seahorse on stick, too
On February 16, 2011 at 6:59 am
interesting!
On February 16, 2011 at 9:30 am
Great info on sea horses
On February 16, 2011 at 11:03 am
I just joined Triond. What a great place if we can earn from posting such interesting articles. I love sea horses. It is sad to learn that they are not doing well in the wild.
On February 16, 2011 at 12:37 pm
nice post
On February 16, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Very interesting share. Love water creatures!
On February 16, 2011 at 8:41 pm
A knight really needs this horse.
On February 16, 2011 at 8:58 pm
how interesting!
On February 17, 2011 at 6:34 am
Hello there. Thank you for a lovely little article. I have been fasinated with Seahorses ever since I found out that it is the male that has the babies. Thanks for the rest of the facts, I didn\’t know them. Like your other comenters I will deferenately pass on seahorse stick. after all do we actually need to eat such things eating domestic animals is one thing but ctaching such a little fish seams a grate pity. thanks C.
On February 17, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Very interesting. You have given me some ideas and a differnt way to write articles rather than just plain text. Thank you. x
On February 17, 2011 at 10:34 pm
amazing and awesome picture :]
On February 18, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Very interesting! Thanks.
On February 18, 2011 at 6:17 pm
Wonderful. I recently read Eric Carle’s excellent picture book, Mister Seahorse, to a group of five year olds.
On February 18, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Very interesting read I was amazed
On February 19, 2011 at 5:21 am
interestng article, thank you for sharing
On February 19, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Wow learning about seahorse is very interesting. They don’t have scales breath through their skin.
On February 20, 2011 at 4:29 pm
seahorses are such cool creatures
On February 20, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Interesting to know there are about 50 different species. Nice to learn more about seahorses. They are hardly in any Zoos these days… well, not in London.
On February 20, 2011 at 7:53 pm
good article….good to see some quality on hot content.