CEBU, Philippines - Seahorses are not actually horses. It's kind of funny, but yes, a seahorse is a fish.
According to biologist Angelie Nellas of Project Seahorse Foundation, seahorses are the most unusual and arguably the most interesting of fish.
They belong to the family Syngnathidae, and that there are over 30 species of those with the scientific name Hippocampus which are considered true seahorses. Other syngnathids include pipefishes, pipehorses, and sea dragons.
They are found in shallow waters around the world from temperate to tropical regions. However, most species live in tropical or subtropical areas in waters that range from five meters in depth to 100 meters.
They are very interesting creatures because it's the female who deposits her eggs in the male pouch. So it is the male that fertilizes the egg, afterwhich the pouch is sealed. It is the male who gets pregnant, actually!
Conditions in this pouch are controlled by the father seahorse. He provides oxygen and nutrients through a network of capillaries in the pouch. The embroos will remain in the pouch for two to six weeks, depending on species and temperatures as they develop to fully formed juveniles. The nutrients provided by the female influence the initial condition in the pouch.
Father seahorses are renowned for the fact that it's them who give birth. When he is to release the developing young, father seahorse undergoes muscular contractions to expel the young - known as fry, from the pouch. Wow! How much better then are father seahorses compared to some human beings!
You can learn more from Project Seahorse about the vulnerable state of our seahorses at the Danajon - the only double barrier reef in the country and only one of six in the world. For more information, FB: Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Conservation.
Project Seahorse Foundation, in partnership with Chevron Phils. Inc. - marketer of the Caltex brand successfully created the Minantaw Marine Park and Sanctuary, a pioneering 214.6-hectare innovative multi-use marine zone in Caubian Island, a jurisdiction of the Lapu-Lapu City government.