Seahorse

1. The Latin word for Seahorse is Hippocampus.

2. 54 species of Hippocampus exist and they do not have caudal fins like most fish. They also have a long snake-like tail.

3. Fish live in water, breath through gills and have a swim bladder.

4. Seahorses have excellent eyesight and their eyes move independently of each other and therefore can look forward and backward and the same time.

5. Seahorse have long snouts which are used for sucking up food like a vacuum.

6. Seahorses eat small crustaceans like shrimp and are unable to chew.

7. Seahorse mate for life and engage in morning rituals.

8. Seahorses have a reversed pregnancy. Male seahorse carry fertilized eggs in a pouch similar to a kangaroo. The eggs are fertilized and provided with all of the nutrients it needs within the male seahorse.

9. Baby seahorses are called fry and are independent at birth and drift along the plankton for the first few weeks.

10. Seahorses have a prehensile tail which they use to grip onto grass and weeds so that they are not washed away by the current.

11. Seahorses change color with their surroundings.

12. Seahorses have an exo-skeleton.

13. Seahorses do not have scales.

14. Seahorses live in shallow weedy areas.