Avid aquarists like to breed a wide variety of exotic fish and bright, unusual animals that attract with their non-standard, bizarre proportions and interesting, sometimes playful behavior. And none, and even cannot be compared with the brightest inhabitants of sea waters - seahorses.
The seahorse is one of the most unusual representatives of the aquarium world. Despite their bizarre shapes, all seahorses belong to the subgroup of bony marine fish, the spiny fish order.
This is interesting! There are only one males on the planet, who themselves bear their future offspring - seahorses.
If you take a closer look, you yourself will notice the striking resemblance of these small bony fish to a chess piece. And how interestingly the seahorse moves in the water, bends all over and very proudly carries its magnificently built head!
Despite the apparent difficulty, keeping a seahorse is practically the same as keeping any other inhabitants of the aquarium world. But, before purchasing one or several individuals, you should take into account many factors, without which the life of this bright and interesting “sea needle” may not be as long as we would like.
Seahorses: interesting facts
The existence of the seahorse was known a thousand years before our era. In ancient Roman mythology, it is said that the god of water streams and the sea, Neptune, every time he went to check his possessions, harnessed a “sea needle”, very similar to a horse, to his chariot. Therefore, for sure, Lord Neptune cannot be huge if he moved on small thirty-centimeter skates. But, seriously, it is very rare in nature today to find spinyfish that reach 30 cm in length. Most “pipits” barely reach twelve centimeters.
In our time, it is already known about the existence of fossilized remains of the ancestors of the seahorse. In the course of a study at the genetic level, scientists revealed the similarity of the seahorse with the needle fish.
What are they like - seahorses
Today, marine aquarists keep seahorses, which range in length from 12 millimeters to twenty centimeters. However, most of all, aquarists prefer to care for Hippocampus erectus, those. standard seahorses.
Seahorses were specifically named this way because the head, chest, and neck are completely similar to horse parts of the body. At the same time, they differ from fish in a different physique. The horse's head of these individuals is positioned completely differently than that of fish - in relation to the body, it is located at ninety degrees. What’s also interesting is that these sea fish have eyes that look in different directions.
And these small, cute sea creatures swim not horizontally, but vertically and have scales all over their bodies, strong armor - colorful, iridescent bone plates. The shell of these sea needle-shaped individuals is “steel”, so that it cannot be penetrated.
I would also like to mention the interesting property of the twisted, long tail of a sea fish in the shape of a spiral. If seahorses feel that there is a predator nearby, they very quickly run into shelter, algae, which they skillfully cling to with their spiral tail and manage to hide.
This is interesting! Feeling that danger threatens, sea fish - pipits - cling to corals or algae with their long tails and remain for a long time motionless, hanging upside down.
Despite such a cute appearance, seahorses are classified as predatory fish, as they feed on shrimp and sea crustaceans.
The seahorse has the ability to camouflage itself. They mimic like chameleons, taking on the color of the place they stop at. Basically, these sea fish like to hide where there are more saturated, bright colors to avoid encounters with predators. And with the help of bright colors, the male attracts the attention of the female, which he really liked. To please the female, he can even “put on” her color.
Seahorses, despite their numbers, are considered rare fish, so their thirty subspecies are listed in the Red Book. The problem is that from year to year the world's oceans turn into a universally polluted, garbage "dump", which is why corals and algae die en masse, and these photosynthetic organisms are vital for seahorses.
And also, the seahorse itself has long been a valuable animal. The Chinese catch these fish in large numbers because they believe that they cure any disease. In many European countries, dead seahorses automatically become raw materials for the manufacture of various souvenirs.
Keeping seahorses at home
Bony seahorses are unusual, bright, funny and very beautiful creatures. Maybe, feeling their beauty and greatness, they become very “capricious” when they find themselves in captivity. And to make these fish feel good, even experienced aquarists should try very hard. It should be created for them natural environment habitat so that animals feel the same there as in sea water. It is very important to monitor the temperature of the aquariums. Seahorses will feel comfortable in cool water with a temperature of twenty-three to twenty-five degrees Celsius, but no more. During hot periods, be sure to install a split system above the aquarium; you can simply turn on the fan. The hot air can suffocate these little creatures even in warm water.
Before placing purchased skates in an aquarium with regular water, check its quality: it should not contain phosphates or ammonia. The maximum concentration of nitrates in water is allowed at a level of ten ppm. Also, don’t forget to install your favorite seahorse algae and corals in the aquarium. Surface grottoes made of artificial material will also look beautiful.
So, you have taken care of the seahorse house. Taking care of their diet will also be important for them, because these beautiful sea creatures often love to eat a lot of meat and exotic foods. A seahorse should eat at least four to five times a day, receiving meat from shrimp and crustaceans. To do this, you can forage for frozen invertebrate mollusks and crustaceans. Seahorses love Mysis shrimp and will happily eat moths and even daphnia.
- All seahorses suffer from limited gas exchange due to low gill efficiency. This is why constant water filtration and oxygen supply is a vital process for seahorses.
- Seahorses do not have stomachs; therefore, in order to maintain themselves normally and not lose energy balance, they require a lot of food.
- Seahorses do not have scales, which is why they are easily susceptible to any infections, especially bacterial ones. An ecosystem moderator in a confined space should frequently inspect the seahorse's body, which may be damaged.
- Seahorses have interesting mouths - proboscis, with the help of which these creatures suck up caught prey with such speed that they can swallow a dozen spineless mollusks at a time.
Reproduction of seahorses
Seahorses are skilled cavaliers! They begin their courtship with a mating dance, which they demonstrate to the female. If everything worked out, the fish touch each other, wrap themselves around each other and look closely. This is how seahorses get to know each other. After numerous “embraces,” the female begins, using her genital nipple, to throw a large army of eggs into the male’s purse. Transparent seahorse fry are born after 30 days, ranging from twenty to two hundred individuals. The fry are born by males!
This is interesting! In nature, there is a subspecies of male extraordinary seahorses capable of bearing over a thousand fry.
It is noteworthy that the male seahorse has a very difficult time giving birth; after giving birth, within a day, or even two, he rests for a long time at the bottom of the reservoir. And only the male, not the female, takes care of his babies for a long time, who, in case of impending danger, can again hide in their father’s brood pouch.
Seahorse's aquarium neighbors
Seahorses are unpretentious and mysterious animals. They can very easily get along with other fish and invertebrate species. Only small fish, very slow and careful, are suitable for them as neighbors. Fish such as gobies and blennies can become such neighbors for skates. Among the invertebrates, we can highlight the snail, which is an excellent aquarium cleaner and also does not sting corals.
You can also place live stones in aquariums with needlefish, the main thing is that they are completely healthy and do not cause diseases.
Where to buy a seahorse
Any online aquarium and pet store offers live pictures and photographs. different types seahorses that will help you choose the most ideal option.
It is here or in any pet store in your city that you can purchase a seahorse at the best prices. In the future, many pet stores offer significant discounts for their regular customers, ranging from 10% and higher when ordering a batch of seahorses.
Parental problems of pipefish and their relatives
Male pipefish, like male seahorses, prepare very carefully to raise their future offspring. True, eggs are hatched differently in different types of needles. In some, the skin on the abdomen turns into a kind of sponge, and the eggs laid by the female are completely immersed in this porous tissue. In others, during the breeding season, two longitudinal folds of skin appear on the underside of the tail, which cover the eggs on both sides, but are not connected to each other. In still others, the folds grow together and a real pouch is formed, similar to the brood pouch of seahorses. In it (as, indeed, in the case if the folds are not connected) there is a large number of blood vessels through which the eggs and fry are supplied with oxygen and excreted harmful products metabolism. In the inner epithelial layer, which is in close contact with the shell of the eggs, there are special cells responsible for osmoregulation, i.e. maintaining a certain concentration of salts in the contents of the bag. This point is very important for needle fish, since most of them live in places with variable salinity of water (in shallow water, near river mouths). Eggs and fry, not yet able to carry out the processes of osmoregulation themselves, would die if the salt concentration inside the brood chamber changed as sharply as in the external environment.
After the body of male pipefish has been rebuilt and they are ready to accept eggs, mating activities begin. Unlike “respectable” seahorses, many pipefish are polygamous, i.e. do not adhere to constancy in marital relations. Each female lays eggs in the pouches of several males, so a male often carries eggs from different females. Moreover, in some species, for example, in those living on our Far East coastal pipefish, males during spawning for about an hour and a half gracefully court females, seeking their favor. In other polygamous species, there is a change in behavioral roles - in them, females are already looking for the favor of representatives of the stronger sex. They acquire bright mating colors (in some cases, various decorations in the form of additional folds and “frills” also develop on their body) and actively court the males. And they, in turn, choose which of the females caring for them to prefer and allow her to lay eggs in the prepared “nursery”. Female needlefish do not have any special devices that would allow them to stay close to the male while laying eggs, so they have to hurry. A well-developed muscle layer in the walls of the ovaries and a large number of nerve fibers form a mechanism that allows the female to quickly inject a portion of eggs into the male’s brood pouch and then go in search of the next candidate parent.
It is interesting that male pipefish of some species, like seahorses, may contain eggs and larvae in the brood chamber. different stages development, while others have only one. These species probably use different strategies: they fertilize the eggs in batches as they appear, or first wait until the bag is filled to capacity.
Interestingly, fertilization of eggs in the closed space of the pouch allows male needlefish to produce a record small number of germ cells, since each of the sperm in this case is simply “doomed to success.”
The amount of caviar that can fit in the bag also varies for different types of needles. Thus, male seaside pipefish, with a length of 20 and a thickness of 1 cm, are capable of bearing more than a thousand young. At the beginning of pregnancy there are a thousand eggs with a diameter of about 1 mm, and by the end (after about a month) there are a thousand fry with a length of 11–12 mm.
The hatching of tiny needles from the egg membranes begins around the second week after the eggs are laid and fertilized, after which the larvae continue to develop in the confined space of the paternal pouch. So the male pipefish experiences all the hardships of “pregnancy”, including the very significant weight of the growing fry and their constant movement...
Like seahorses, needlefish are highly valued in oriental medicine and are therefore caught in large quantities in many places. True, in smaller quantities than skates, which are valued more highly by healers and “go well” as just souvenirs. Most of the seahorse species have already been included in the IUCN Red List (see “Biology”, No. 42/2002). For pipefish, the situation is not yet so critical, but the only way to preserve these species in the future seems to be through artificial breeding. Attempts at such breeding have already been made in Australia and Vietnam. However, this “industry” is just in its infancy, and there are still many difficulties on the way to turning needle fish into an aquaculture object. A number of problems arise, in particular, with feeding, as well as with the development of measures to prevent various diseases of these cute fish. However, scientists do not lose hope and continue to work actively. Perhaps in this way it will be possible to preserve for posterity amazing fish that are simply distinguished by their unique and selfless care for their offspring.
rare resident of the aquarium Quite often, aquarists are in search of amazing and unusual residents for their aquariums. Thus, many people prefer fish with bright colors, unusual behavior or amazing body shapes. But, probably, everyone will agree that the real pearl of any ecosystem will be the unique seahorses, which will be discussed in this article.
Description
The horse has always had a mythical aura. And this is not at all surprising, given its amazing curved body shape combined with a horse-shaped head. And the way he proudly moves around aquatic environment you can watch for hours.
Today you can buy a huge number of different types of seahorses. But here it should be noted that the requirements for their care can vary significantly. As a rule, the sizes of the most popular types can vary from 120 to 200 mm. Such results can be achieved by representatives of H.barbouri, Hippocampus erectus and H.reidi.
If we talk about color scheme their colors, then it should be noted their scarcity. So, the predominant shade among the others is yellow. An interesting fact is that the brightness of color can change noticeably depending on mood, environmental conditions and even stress.
In terms of development, the pipit is somewhat lower than other bony fish. Also, although they do not require much special attention in care, you should know a few simple nuances for their comfortable maintenance. And first of all, this concerns their special distinctive features. Which manifest themselves in:
- Limited gas exchange. This occurs due to the ineffective functioning of the gills. That is why the water in the container should not only be under a regular supply of oxygen, but also filtered. It is important to maintain a high flow, since the amount of oxygen is directly proportional to the amount of oxygen contained in it, which is vital for the normal functioning of the skate.
- Lack of stomach. In this way, the seahorse can support high level energy. But don’t forget about his enhanced nutrition.
- Lack of scales. This allows you to ignore most infections, both bacterial and viral. But to ensure that this advantage does not turn into a disadvantage, it is necessary to regularly carry out preventive examinations of the surface of the skin so that seahorses continue to delight with their appearance.
- The original oral apparatus, represented by an elongated muzzle with a proboscis, the main task of which is to absorb food at enormous speed. It's worth noting that food may vary in size. There have been cases when a small seahorse destroyed a soft shrimp, the size of which was 1 cm.
What you need to know about the content
Having decided to purchase such an unusual resident for your aquarium, the first thing you need to do is prepare a new container for them. Seahorses introduced into a used aquarium may encounter too many restrictive factors to tolerate.
And it is recommended to start with the size of the container. It should be remembered that the seahorse, due to its physiological characteristics, prefer large vertical spaces that they can use to their full potential. That is why, Special attention should be paid to the height of the aquarium. AND the best option will be when it is at least 450 m.
In addition, it is worth emphasizing that too bright lighting can also cause significant discomfort for them.
Concerning temperature regime, then the seahorse shows its slight selectivity, preferring colder temperatures. And if other fish still feel comfortable at 26 degrees, then seahorses prefer 23-24. To achieve this temperature regime, it will be enough to use a standard fan installed above the aquarium.
Breeding in captivity
Just a few years ago, there was a strong opinion that seahorses would not reproduce in captivity. That is why they were introduced into the aquarium solely for decorative purposes. But it soon became clear that, like other fish, the seahorse also cannot reproduce outside its natural environment. As for the high mortality rate earlier, it turned out that seahorses died from improper care and maintenance.
In addition, if we make a comparison, it turns out that seahorses born in captivity are significantly superior to their “wild” relatives in several characteristics. So, first of all, the “domestic” seahorse is several times more resilient, has greater strength and can eat frozen food.
And most importantly, given their rapidly declining population in the wild, domesticated seahorses are not exacerbating this trend.
Neighborhood with other inhabitants of the aquarium
As a rule, the seahorse gets along well with the rest of the inhabitants of the home ecosystem. And what kind of fish can harm him, given the swiftness of these creatures. As for other invertebrates, they are not only ideal as neighbors, but also do an excellent job of cleaning containers from traces of food.
The only concern is the corals, the wrong choice of which can cause the death of seahorses. That is why you should opt for corals that do not sting and do not require bright lighting.
Very important point in introducing seahorses to potential neighbors, even if they are only fish, is to provide him with some free time for “personal acquaintance” with the new territory.
Not crucian carp, not perch,
Has a long neck
Who is he? Guess it quickly!
Well, of course, it’s a hobby!
The seahorse (from the Latin Hippocampus) is a small, cute sea fish of an unusual shape from the genus of bony fish (the pipefish family) of the needle-shaped order. Looking at this fish, one immediately remembers the chess piece of a knight. Long neck - distinctive feature skate. If you disassemble the skate into body parts, then its head resembles that of a horse, its tail resembles that of a monkey, its eyes resemble those of a chameleon, and its outer coverings resemble those of insects. The unusual structure of the tail allows the skate to cling to seaweed and corals and hide in them if it senses danger. The ability to mimic (camouflage) makes the seahorse practically invulnerable. The seahorse feeds on plankton. Young skates are quite voracious and can eat for 10 hours in a row, eating up to three thousand crustaceans and shrimp. The vertical position of the seahorse relative to the water is its distinctive feature.
It is interesting that the seahorse is a caring father and faithful husband. The difficult burden of motherhood falls on the shoulders of the male. The seahorse independently carries the baby in a special bag, which is located in the lower part of the seahorse's abdomen. It is there that the female introduces eggs during mating games. If the female dies, the male remains faithful to his partner for a long time and vice versa, if the male dies, the female remains faithful to the male for up to 4 weeks.
Dimensions
The size of a seahorse varies from two to three centimeters to 30. Thirty centimeters is the size of a giant seahorse. The average size is 10 or 12 centimeters. The smallest representatives, dwarf seahorses, are about 13 or even 3 millimeters. With a size of 13 centimeters, the mass of a seahorse is about 10 grams.
A few more photos of seahorses.
The seahorse is a small fish, which is a representative of the Spine family from the order Stickleback. Research has shown that the seahorse is a highly modified pipefish. Today the seahorse is a rather rare creature. In this article you will find a description and photo of a seahorse and learn a lot of new and interesting things about this extraordinary creature.
The seahorse looks very unusual and its body shape resembles chess piece horse The seahorse fish has many long bony spines and various leathery projections on its body. Thanks to this body structure, the seahorse appears unnoticed among the algae and remains inaccessible to predators. The seahorse looks amazing, it has small fins, its eyes rotate independently of each other, and its tail is curled into a spiral. The seahorse looks diverse, because it can change the color of its scales.
The seahorse looks small, its size depends on the species and varies from 4 to 25 cm. In the water, the seahorse swims vertically, unlike other fish. This is due to the fact that the seahorse’s swim bladder consists of an abdominal and a head part. The head bladder is larger than the abdominal one, which allows the seahorse to maintain an upright position when swimming.
Now the seahorse is becoming increasingly rare and is on the verge of extinction due to a rapid decline in numbers. There are many reasons for the disappearance of the seahorse. The main one is the destruction by humans of both the fish itself and its habitats. Off the coast of Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, pipits are being caught en masse. Exotic appearance and the bizarre shape of the body became the reason that people began to make gift souvenirs from them. For beauty, the tail is artificially arched and the body is given the shape of the letter “S”, but in nature skates do not look like that.
Another reason that contributes to the decline in the seahorse population is that they are a delicacy. Gourmets highly value the taste of these fish, especially the eyes and liver of seahorses. In a restaurant, the cost of one serving of such a dish costs $800.
In total, there are about 50 species of seahorses, 30 of which are already listed in the Red Book. Luckily, seahorses are very fertile and can produce over a thousand young at a time, keeping the seahorses from going extinct. Seahorses are bred in captivity, but this fish is very demanding to keep. One of the most extravagant seahorses is the rag-picker seahorse, which you can see in the photo below.
The seahorse lives in tropical and subtropical seas. The seahorse fish lives mainly at shallow depths or near the shore and leads a sedentary lifestyle. The seahorse lives in dense thickets of algae and other marine vegetation. It attaches itself to plant stems or corals with its flexible tail, remaining almost invisible due to its body covered with various projections and spines.
The seahorse fish changes body color to completely blend in with environment. In this way, the seahorse successfully camouflages itself not only from predators, but also while foraging for food. The seahorse is very bony, so few people want to eat it. The main hunter of the seahorse is the large land crab. The seahorse can travel long distances. To do this, it attaches its tail to the fins of various fish and hangs on them until the “free taxi” swims into the algae thickets.
What do seahorses eat?
Seahorses eat crustaceans and shrimp. Seahorses eat very interestingly. The tubular stigma, like a pipette, draws prey into the mouth along with water. Seahorses eat quite a lot and hunt almost the whole day, taking short breaks of a couple of hours.
Seahorses eat about 3 thousand planktonic crustaceans per day. But seahorses eat almost any food, as long as it does not exceed the size of their mouth. The seahorse fish is a hunter. With its flexible tail, the seahorse clings to the algae and remains motionless until the prey is in the required proximity to the head. After which the seahorse absorbs water along with food.
How do seahorses reproduce?
Seahorses reproduce in a rather unusual way, because their young are carried by the male. Seahorses often have monogamous pairs. The mating season of seahorses is an amazing sight. A couple who are about to enter into a marriage union are held together by their tails and dance in the water. During the dance, the skates press against each other, after which the male opens a special pocket in the abdominal area, into which the female throws eggs. Subsequently, the male bears offspring for a month.
Seahorses reproduce quite often and produce large offspring. A seahorse gives birth to one thousand or more young at a time. The fry are born an absolute copy of the adults, only very tiny. The babies that are born are left to their own devices. In nature, a seahorse lives for about 4-5 years.
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