A Rare Romantic
By Tom Pelton
eahorses are among the most peculiar denizens of the
Chesapeake Bay and the world’s oceans. But scientists
warn their continued existence may be threatened by pollution and destructive fishing techniques.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the seahorse lifecycle is
how they reproduce. In the Chesapeake Bay, breeding occurs in
the warm-water months of May to October. Males and females
pair off and dance, often wrapping their tails around each other.
They change colors as they swirl around, making clicking
sounds until they click in unison.
When seahorses mate, it is the male that gets pregnant. The
female extends a tube from her ovary to inject eggs into the
male’s inflated brood pouch at the base of his abdomen. The
male seals his pouch, fertilizes the eggs in it, nourishes and carries the embryos, and after a 20-21 day gestation period, gives
birth to hundreds of seahorse fry.
In many species, the couples repeat their ritualistic dances every
morning to reinforce their marriage-like bonds, according to Dr.
Amanda Vincent, an expert on seahorses with the International
Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Director of
Project Seahorse at the University of British Columbia.
GEORGE GRALL, NATIONAL AQUARIUM
“There is a real commitment to the partner in these pair bond-
ed animals, probably partly because these animals live at such
low densities and move so little that looking for a new partner
would be jolly hard work and possibly quite risky,” Dr.