Tom's Travel Diaries: Seahorses and Seadragons at the National Aquarium

$Tom\'s Travel Diaries$

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Seahorse sculpture at the Baltimore National Aquarium

SEAHORSE STATUE

SEAHORSES &
SEADRAGONS

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[SEAHORSES & SEADRAGONS]

SEAHORSES

SEAHORSE ANATOMY

Seahorses belong to the genus Hippocampus, in the family Syngathidae. Other members of the Syngnathidae family, which are distinguished by their tubular snouts and small mouths, include seadragons and pipefish. As shown in the figure, a seahorse has two pectoral fins positioned at, or just behind, the sides of its head and a dorsal fin on its back. It swims by undulating these fins. Since it lacks a tail, or caudal, fin to drive it through the water, a seahorse swims slowly. However, a seahorse does have a prehensile tail which is excellent for grasping things.

Seahorses are protected by strong external plates or rings on their trunks and tails. The number of trunk and tail rings is characteristic of a seahorse species. For example, Hippocampus whitei has 11 trunk and 33-36 tail rings.

Seahorses are unusual in that the males become pregnant; a male seahorse has a pouch on the front of its tail in which it carries fertilized eggs until the young are ready to be born.

A seahorse has independently movable eyes mounted at the sides of its head. The coronet on top of its head has a shape which is characteristic of the species of seahorse.

Above are two pictures of living seahorses. In the picture at left, you can see how the seahorse uses its tail for grasping things, allowing it to anchor itself in position.

SEADRAGONS

SEADRAGON ANATOMY

Seadragons belong to the same family as sea-horses, and are anatomically very similar to seahorses. The major features of seadragon anotomy which differ from that of seahorses include a variety of leaf-like appendages on the heads and bodies of seadragons, and the fact that a seadragon has a tail that cannot be coiled up.

As with seahorses, the fertilized eggs of seadragons are carried by the males; however, male seadragons do not have a pouch. Instead, the eggs are deposited on a "brood patch" on the underside of the male seadragon's tail.

There are two major species of seadragons which can be distinguished by the size and shape of their leaf-like appendages.

LEAFY SEADRAGON

As seen below, leafy seadragons have many extremely prominent leaf-like appendages.

WEEDY SEADRAGONS

Weedy seadragons, shown above, also have leaf-like appendages. but they are smaller and less prominent than those of the leafy seadragon.

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