Female Seahorses

Over the years sea horses have adapted to their environments very well so far. They're good at catching their food and keeping quiet while doing it. Especially with their camouflage skills. All they have to do is stay still, stay in camouflage, wait for the bait, and then jump out and take it. So, sea horses have adapted quite well.

This involves a change in the shape of their body, skull and ears, the colour of their skin and fur, and the digestion of seal fat.

Shark mating rituals vary from the size of the shark and its specie. In smaller, more flexible species, the male coils around the female, while the male of the larger specie orients himself parallel and head-to-head with the female (Woums & Demski 1993). Some species mating rituals also consists of males biting females on the pectoral fins or the middle of the back to hold on to them (Woums & Demski 1993). The female will often bear scars or marks, after the ordeal. Due to the fact that sharks are cold blooded animals, there is no precise gestation time. The development of the embryo will depend solely on the temperature of the water, however, the gestation period can last anywhere from 2 months to 2 years (Woums & Demski 1993). Within shark species there are two methods of reproduction. In some cases a female shark will lay eggs in a coastal nursery where the presence of other sharks are absent. And in other cases, usually in the larger sharks, females give birth to live offspring (Wourms & Demski 1993). In which case the young are born fully developed, and once they are born they shoot away fast or they risk being eaten.

The first thing is the ability to camouflage. Sea horses being able to camouflage is a very great way to survive in their habitats because they can hide from anything that tries to harm them. In source 1 paragraph 3 sentences 1 through 3 it states “(1)

A seahorse has a long curled mouth that helps it eat small animals. They also have a long curly tail that can help them hang on to coral and sea grass.

Reproduction usually occurs once a year for hammerhead sharks. Male hammerhead sharks start to bite the female hammerhead sharks when they are ready to mate. Female hammerhead sharks give birth to their cubs in the warm water. They are able to have 12-15 cubs at once. Not all cubs will make it out of birth from the mother. The female hammerheads immediately leave the pups alone to take care of themselves. A good percentage of the cubs will survive after birth and it is unusual for all cubs to survive.

In the article, “How a Seahorse Dad is like a Pregnant Woman” by Sarah Zielinski, may sound comical, but much to my surprise, has some biological information that is worth reading. Unlike human, beings male seahorses carry the babies, instead of the women. A male seahorse carries the eggs of his mate in a pouch. Inside the male is where the eggs become fertile and start the growing process. The pouch, or the homes of the eggs are inside the male, around the stomach region. The male’s pouch is very adaptable. When the male is not pregnant the pouch is not sealed off, but when there are eggs in the pouch it becomes sealed, isolated from anything else. When eggs occupy the pouch it adapts its size and the nutrients it realizes according to the

Female Leafy Sea Dragons lay up to 250 bright pink eggs. Then, she deposits the eggs to the male’s tail with her ovipositor. Finally, the eggs attach to the brood patch which supplies the babies with oxygen.

Throughout decades, sexual selection has been acknowledged in the explanation of evolutionary patterns. With research, we have had the opportunity to study species of animals like the Syngnathidae family. Animals that are included in this category include pipefish, seahorses, and sea dragons. This species is known for their sex role reversal, meaning that the male fertilizes and carries the eggs during incubation after the female has laid them. When we look more specifically at the pipefish, it is found that males are left with most of the parenting and care for the offspring. As the male carries its eggs, it supplies them with nutrients and oxygen through the placenta. During pipefish copulation, the female transfers her eggs through a small

The shark reproduces in a fascinating way.First it has a small litter of pups (2 - 4) then the pups eat the unfertilized eggs.They also deplete or use up their yolk sac in the womb.(Thresher sharks are slow

The female Ringed Seal will give birth every 9 to 11 months, only to one pup. They are ready to have a pup at age 6. The approximate growth rate of male Ringed Seals is about 69.0 ± 2.7 kg and 68.9 ± 2.5 kg for females. A young pup will spend most of their time in the birth lair while their parents go out to hunt

Clownfish have interesting mating behaviors. For instance, they are hermaphrodites meaning they have both female and male genitalia. There is strict dominance hierarchy in a group of clownfish. Two clownfish, with the female being the biggest, reproduce through external fertilization. However, if the female was to die, the male would become the high female and the next largest male would become the highest male and reproduce with the clownfish who became female. Throughout this monogamous relationship, they can mate all year long. A female clownfish can lay 600-1600 eggs. While breeding, the male cleans debris and creates a nesting area with his mouth.

Did you know that seahorses are the only members of the Hippocampus species? The name Hippocampus is Greek, it means “Horse Sea Monster.” There are thirty-four different species of seahorses. Many people are surprised when they find out that seahorses are a type of fish. They have fins and gills, the defining features of a fish. When seahorses are in a group they are called a herd, just like horses. Seahorses usually live one to five years, but they are becoming endangered because their habitat is slowly being destroyed. “Seahorses can be as small as one inch long and as tall as twelve inches long!”(Trisha Shaskan, page 23) Seahorses are not alone though, the Syngnathidae family also includes pipefish and seadragons. Syngnathidae means fused jaw.

The lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) can be found in warm, temperate waters in mangroves, soft bottom areas and estuaries from Nova Scotia to Venezuela. Lined seahorse can also be found in coral reefs of up to 72 meters deep. However, the lined seahorse adaptations are most suited for grass beds. This creature varies in color from brown to green, but all have a pattern of white lines that follow the neck contour and gives it the name of “lined seahorses”. The coloration and pattern of the lined seahorse allow it to expertly camouflage into the environment. This camouflage is so superior, that few predators are known to prey upon this creature. Another adaptation of the lined seahorse, is its ability to change colors. Seahorses can change

The female manatee has sole responsibility for the raising of the calf. In fact, researchers have not established the paternity of manatee calves yet, meaning that the father of a calf is not known. This is primarily due to the process in which manatees mate, called a mating herd. A mating herd consists of about 20-22 manatees, with one or two females in the herd. This process can last for several hours, and can be recognized by lots of splashing, rolling, and other “playful” behaviors performed by the manatees. Once this activity is finished, the female manatee goes through her gestation period, which lasts about 13 months! This is equivalent to the 9-month pregnancy period of a human. Then, once the calf is born, the female manatee will care