Seahorse Facts, Worksheets, Types, Behavior & Habitat For Kids (2024)

A seahorse is a carnivorous fish that has a uniquely long tail, bent neck, and long snout. Its head resembles that of a horse. Its size ranges from half an inch up to 14 inches. It breathes through its gills and clings to seagrass with its tail. It doesn’t have caudal fins, but it has dorsal and pectoral fins. It eats crustaceans, like shrimp.

See the fact file below for more information on the seahorse or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Seahorse worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

The Fascinating Little Seahorse

• A seahorse is any one of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus.
• The name Hippocampus comes from the Ancient Greek word hippókampos, híppos meaning “horse” and kámpos meaning “sea monster”.
• Seahorses
  • are found in a variety of colors,
  • swim vertically,
  • can change color,
  • range in size from 5⁄8 to 14 in (1.5 to 35.5 cm).

Description

• Although the seahorse is a marine fish, its body is not scaly like other fish.
• They are spiny and bony and have a tough exoskeleton consisting of rings over which thin skin is stretched.
• An armor of bony plates protects them against predators, and because of this outer skeleton, they do not have ribs.
• Seahorses have chromatophores, which are pigmented and reflective cells that enable them to change color to blend into their environment and protect themselves from predators.
• Seahorses swim upright, propelling themselves forward using their dorsal fin.
• The pectoral fins, located on either side of their head, behind their eyes, are used for steering.
• Seahorses are not very good swimmers and use their prehensile tails to anchor themselves to weeds and coral.
• They also use their tails to dance with their partner during courtship and mating.
• Seahorses have a flexible, well-defined neck and a horn or coronet on the top of the head. The coronet is distinct for each species.
• Their eyes can move independently of each other, like those of a chameleon.
• The smallest seahorse species is Satomi’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae). It is found in Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia and measures only 11 mm.
• Denise’s pygmy seahorse, or the yellow pygmy seahorse, found in Western Pacific waters, measures 2.4 centimeters.
• The largest seahorse species is the big-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis), found in New Zealand and Southern Australia, and this species measures 35 cm.
• The dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae), found in the United States and the Bahamas, is the slowest moving fish in the Guinness Book of Records.

Habitat

• Seahorses are mainly found in temperate saltwater and shallow tropical water throughout the world, from about 45°S to 45°N.
• They live in sheltered areas such as mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries, and seagrass beds.
• Four species are found in Pacific waters from North America to South America.
• Three species live in the Mediterranean Sea, and the dwarf seahorse (H. Zosterae) is found in the Bahamas.
• The long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus), lives in cold waters in the U.K. and New Zealand.

Diet

• Seahorses are ambush predators, mostly grabbing unsuspecting creatures floating by.
• Adults eat up to 50 times a day, and baby seahorses eat about 3000 pieces of food each day.
• Seahorses have long snouts, which they use like vacuum cleaners to suck up food.
• Their simple digestive system lacks a stomach, so they must constantly eat to stay alive.
• Seahorses have three interesting feeding phases: preparatory, expansive, and recovery.
  • the preparatory phase is where the seahorse slowly approaches the prey in an upright position, after which it slowly flexes its head ventrally.
  • the expansive phase is when the seahorse captures its prey by elevating its head, expanding the buccal cavity, and sucking in the prey.
  • the recovery phase, when the jaws, head, and hyoid of the seahorse return to their original positions.
• Seahorses feed on shrimp and other small crustaceans floating in the water or crawling on the bottom surface.
• In areas with small amounts of vegetation, seahorses will sit and wait for food to pass by and catch it.
• In areas with extensive vegetation, the seahorse will inspect its environment, feeding while swimming.
• In an aquarium setting, the seahorse will inspect its environment and actively look for food.

Reproduction and Young

• Seahorses do not mate for life, but many species form “pair bonds” that last through a breeding season.
• Some species show a higher level of fidelity than others, while other species switch mates when the opportunity arises.
• Females produce the eggs, but the male seahorse has a brood pouch on the front-facing side of the tail where the eggs are deposited to develop into babies.
• Before breeding, seahorses have interesting habits.
• They appear to court for several days, making lip-smacking noises.
• They also greet each other with a dance every morning to bond and to synchronize their reproductive cycles.
• Seahorses eventually engage in a “true courtship dance” lasting up to 8 hours. During this time, the male will pump water through his egg pouch on his trunk. This act expands and opens the pouch to display its emptiness.
• When the female’s eggs reach maturity, she and her mate let go of any anchors and drift upward snout-to-snout, often spiraling as they rise.
• The female seahorse deposits as many as 1,500 eggs in the male’s pouch.
• The male carries the eggs for between 9 and 45 days until the seahorses emerge, very small but fully developed.
• Throughout gestation, which in most species lasts two to four weeks, his mate visits him daily for “morning greetings”.
• The number of young fry released by the male seahorse averages 100–1000 for most species.
• Baby seahorses are called seahorse fry.
• Like most other fish species, seahorses do not nurture their young after birth.
• Seahorse fry is susceptible to many predators and ocean currents which wash them away from feeding grounds.
• Less than 0.5% survive to adulthood.
• While male seahorses incubate eggs, females prepare the next batch of eggs.

Did You Know?

• Seahorses are capable of looking forwards and backward.
• Seahorses are in danger of becoming extinct because of human activity. They are used as food in some countries and also in traditional medicine in Asia.
• It is estimated that up to 20 million seahorses are caught each year to be sold for medicinal purposes.
• Pollution also has a negative effect on their population.
• Because of their unique shape and bright colors, seahorses are also used as ornaments and made into jewelry and souvenirs.
• The import and export of seahorses has been controlled under CITES since May 2004 to prevent them from becoming endangered through exploitation.
• Unfortunately, some countries have chosen to opt-out of the trade rules set by CITES.
• Dried seahorse retails from US$600 to $3,000 per kilogram, with paler, larger, and smoother specimens commanding the highest prices.
• Weight for weight, seahorses sell for more than the price of silver in Asia.

Seahorse Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about seahorse across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Seahorse worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about a seahorse which is a carnivorous fish that has a uniquely long tail, bent neck, and long snout. Its head resembles that of a horse. Its size ranges from half an inch up to 14 inches. It breathes through its gills and clings to seagrass with its tail. It doesn’t have caudal fins but it has dorsal and pectoral fins. It eats crustaceans, like shrimp.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Seahorses Facts
• Seahorse Structure
• Spot the Seahorse
• Sea Venn Diagram
• Special Species
• Search the Species
• Decode the Diet
• How to Court
• Wait, There’s More!
• In Danger
• My Own Fable

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a group of seahorses called?

A group of seahorses is called a herd.

What is unique about a seahorse?

Seahorses are unique in the way they reproduce. The female lays eggs in a pouch on the front side of the male’s tail. The male carries the eggs until they hatch as baby sea horses which look like small adults.

What do seahorses eat?

Seahorses eat plankton and creatures such as tiny fish and brine shrimp.

What color are seahorses?

Seahorses come in many different colors. They can be brown or black or bright yellow or orange, and some are speckled or striped. Their coloring helps them hide in or blend with nearby plants.

Do seahorses have predators?

Yes, seahorses have many predators. Crabs are probably the biggest threat to seahorses, as both species share shallow waters in tropical and temperate zones. Penguins, fish, and sea birds also feed on the seahorse.

Can one keep seahorses as pets?

Seahorses are popular in home aquariums as they are both attractive and fascinating to watch. Water quality is very important for their survival in an aquarium, as is live food such as brine shrimp or frozen crustaceans.

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Link will appear as - KidsKonnect, June 25, 2018