Dancing Fish of the Sea (Seahorse)

Member Name: freeandsingle

Product:	Seahorse
Date:	13/03/09 (311 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful graceful marine fish

Disadvantages: Thet are sadly under threat

I am writing this review about sea horses living in their natural environment. They are amazing and unique creatures and it is very difficult to provide the right conditions for them in captivity.

There are over 35 different types of seahorses all over the world and they are mostly found in warm shallow water. The Scientific name for them is 'Hippocampus' in Greek this apparently means 'bent horse.'

They range in size from 15 millimetres to 35 centimetres and are the only fish where the male becomes pregnant, the female lays her eggs on the underside of the male and two flaps develop from the male and protect the eggs. Once the eggs hatch the babies swim out therefore the male has given birth.

They have a head like a horse and a long body tapering down to a curling tail with rectangular bony plates very much like tiles. They can change their colour to blend in with their surroundings and some are completely transparent.

They feed on shrimps and small crustaceans by using their snout to suck very much like a vacuum cleaner.
Their long tail is very handy for them because they can curl it around sea grass to avoid being swept away by strong currents.

These beautiful creatures are sadly being threatened due to over fishing.

They are being used for traditional Asian medicine markets in China, Korea and Japan and they are also used as good luck charms to ward off evil spirits.

The pet trade is a great threat to these unique quirky fish they are in high demand but so difficult to look after in a tank because they need the correct food and the right temperature and depth of water so sadly the survival rate is very bleak for them.

Souvenir trade is also barbaric, these dancing fish of the sea have a tiled body like an armour and when caught alive they can be left to dry out and will stay in tact. Next time you are on holiday and see shells for sale watch out for the seahorses these were once living creatures. I have actually seen them made into pendants with the ring put through their eye believe it or not.

The seahorse is a beautiful graceful fish and should be left to enjoy its life in the seas and oceans of our world if anybody wants to enjoy watching them then maybe they should sit down to a good documentary on the television or take up scuba diving.

Summary: Enjoy their wonder from the sea not from a fish tank