SEAHORSE
Seahorses at a Glance
👀 How common: Uncommon and easy to overlook
🔬 Family: Syngnathidae
📏 Size: Usually about 8–18 cm (3–7 in), depending on species
🌊 Habitat: Seagrass beds, mangroves, algae, sponges, gorgonians and sheltered reefs
⬇️ Depth: Usually shallow water to about 30 m (100 ft)
🦐 Diet: Tiny crustaceans and other small drifting animals
🐠 Behaviour: Slow-moving and usually solitary or in pairs
🌀 Special feature: A prehensile tail allows them to hold onto seagrass, corals and other structures
🎨 Camouflage: Their colour can help them blend remarkably well into their surroundings
👀 Eyes: Each eye can move independently, helping them search for prey without moving their head
🤰 Reproduction: The female transfers her eggs to the male, who carries them in a brood pouch and gives birth to fully formed young
♻️ Ecological role: Small predators of tiny crustaceans and part of the coastal food web
🏝️ Curaçao, Bonaire & Aruba: Seahorses occur around the ABC islands, with the Longsnout Seahorse being the species most often encountered
What Makes them Special?
Two Eyes, Two Directions
A seahorse can move its eyes independently. One eye can watch for food while the other keeps an eye out for danger, without the seahorse having to move its head.
Dad Is the One Who Gets Pregnant
Seahorses have one of the most unusual reproductive systems in the animal world. The female transfers her eggs into a special brood pouch on the male’s belly. He fertilizes them and carries the developing young until they are ready to be born.
When the young are fully developed, the male goes into labour, using muscular contractions to push them from his pouch. Depending on the species and the size of the male, he may give birth to dozens or even hundreds of tiny, fully formed seahorses.
Seahorses can be incredibly difficult to spot. Their shape, colour and slow movements help them blend into seagrass, algae, sponges and other surroundings. You may be looking directly at one without realizing it is there.
Holding On Instead of Swimming
Seahorses are surprisingly poor swimmers. Instead of moving around much, they use their curled, prehensile tail to hold onto seagrass, gorgonians and other structures, while a small dorsal fin provides propulsion.