Tagged: weedy sea dragon

60 Spectacular Seahorses and Seadragons [PICS]

April 25th, 2013 Permalink

If you don’t live near an ocean or urban aquarium or even a zoo, then you might not have seen many seahorses and seadragons to realize how stunning these tiny sea creatures are. With a long face like a horse, they have an almost mythical appearance, but are far from immortal as none of the seahorse family are strong swimmers and they often die during storms. They excel at camouflage and many can change colors to hide themselves in their natural underwater surroundings. There are declining numbers as these creatures are used in Asian herbal medicines. Bizarrely, for seahorses, leafy and weedy sea dragons and even pipefish — a relative — males are responsible for childbearing. Here are some fun facts and sensational shots of these tiny “sea monsters” that are truly spectacular! [60 Photos]

Lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus

Lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus. Delicate and beautiful seahorses get their name from the ancient Greek hippos meaning “horse” and kampos meaning “sea monster.” The genus “Hippocampus” covers the 54 species of marine fish. The lined seahorse is also known as northern seahorse or spotted seahorse. Its length is about 6 inches (15 centimeters) and it can live for up to four years. Photo #1 by Brian Gratwicke

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