Seahorses are known in Latin as Hippocampus, literally ‘horse caterpillar’. They are a species of fish, related to pipefish.
Langstone Harbour has both types of British seahorses, the long snouted seahorse (also known as the spiny seahorse), and the short snouted seahorse.
Seahorses live in Britain’s shallow coastal waters and are fairly poor swimmers. They rely on their prehensile tail to cling onto seaweed and seagrass. This stops them from being swept away in the tidal currents, and one of the reasons why it is important to conserve seagrass.
Did You Know?
Prehensile means a body attachment adapted for grasping, holding or wrapping around things. This helps with climbing, anchoring or manipulation of objects. These include a monkey’s tail, feet, hands or an elephant’s trunk.
Long snouted seahorses are greenish yellow and have a longer snout than their short snouted relatives. Fleshy nodules along its angular back give the impression of a horse’s mane, hence its other name of ‘spiny seahorse’.
Short snouted seahorses have a short, upturned snout, less than a third the length of their head. The short snouted seahorse does not have a mane. Their colour varies from light brown to mottled purple. You can see them all year in shallow waters.
Did You Know?
During courtship, seahorses change colour! They are the only creature to have what is called a ‘reverse pregnancy’. The female transfers her eggs into the male’s special ‘brood’ pouch where he fertilises them. He provides the eggs with oxygen and food before giving birth two to four weeks later. The young seahorses are called fry.
Seahorses don’t have teeth, but they simply suck up their favourite prey, which is small shrimp and plankton. Seahorses are known to stay with one mate, although we no longer think that they mate for life.
Did You Know?
Restoring seagrass helps to provide the ideal habitat for seahorses to thrive in Langstone Harbour.
- See the video of seahorses moving and feeding – click here
- Read more about seahorses at the Seahorse Trust – click here
- More facts about seahorses at National Geographic – click here