sea horse

The dwarf sea horse swims in an upright position, propelled by gentle movements of its dorsal fin. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the Caribbean.

Unlike most fish, the sea horse has a rigid body and cannot propel itself by oscillating from side to side. Instead, it uses its paired pectoral fins to travel, in jerky vertical motions. It normally has no need to go fast or far. Generally, the sea horse uses its prehensile tail to cling to weeds, choosing a place where there is a good supply of its staple food.

Any marine fish of several related genera, especially Hippocampus, of the family Syngnathidae, which includes the pipefishes. The body is small and compressed and covered with bony plates raised into tubercles or spines. The tail is prehensile, and the tubular mouth sucks in small shellfish and larvae as food. The head and foreparts, usually carried upright, resemble those of a horse. They swim vertically and beat their fins up to 70 times a second.

Unusually for fish, sea horses are monogamous and have a relatively long courtship, from 3-7 days. The female deposits her eggs, from dozens to hundreds, in a special pouch in the male. The male fertilizes the eggs whilst they are in his pouch, and nourishes them for six weeks or so until they are finally released as young fish.