Animals are truly fascinating and wonderful creatures. Those who study and observe them are sure to have stories to tell about their unique characteristics and behaviours.
Each animal, no matter the species, is one-of-a-kind, and we can always learn something new about them.
The following video captures the moment a male seahorse gives birth to hundreds of baby seahorses. Watch as the male seahorse’s pouch opens, releasing about 300 babies into the sea. It’s like a cloud being sent out to the ocean, and it’s a remarkable sight.
Seahorses, also known as horses of the sea, have this peculiarity.
The male seahorses incubate the eggs in a special pouch on their belly for almost a month, and then they give birth.
It is the female seahorses that deposit the eggs into the male’s pouch, and so the fathers take on the task of pregnancy. They produce about 2,000 eggs per year.
Only 10-40% survive, which is a high mortality rate, but many sea creatures may have an even higher mortality rate.
Seahorses are, in fact, fish, despite the common misconception that they belong to another species.
Their name is said to come from a mythical sea creature with a horse’s head, wings, and a serpent’s tail.
That creature, in turn, was named after the words ‘hippos’, meaning horse, and ‘kampos’, a monster that lived with Tartarus. Another interpretation suggests that the second part of the word comes from insect nymphs, as the body of seahorses resembles the body of a caterpillar.
Currently, there are three species living in the Mediterranean – only two of which are found in Greece – while there are over 50 species worldwide.
Generally, seahorses are not strong swimmers, so they latch onto various objects to move from one place to another. You’ll find them hiding among the sea flora, as they seek safety there.
Finally, seahorses are monogamous creatures, according to research, as they tend to stay with one partner for their entire lives.”
(information from topetmou.gr)
