SEAHORSES & PIPEFISH

The seahorse has enchanted and captivated human beings for thousands of years.

Our fascination with them dates back to ancient times - their scientific name 'Hippocampus' means 'Horse Caterpillar or monster' in Greek. Legend has it that Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, rode around the ocean on a magnificent chariot towed by Hippocampus - a mythical Greek seamonster which was half horse and half fish.

Although they are fish the seahorses appearance, means of propulsion and complex behaviour are unlike those of any other species.

They swim upright, beating their tiny dorsal fins at a rate of 30 to 70 times per second.

There are 30 to 40 different species of seahorse and possibly as many sub-species found worldwide ranging in size from 5cm to 25cm and living in places as far apart as Nova Scotia and New Zealand.

Two species (Hippocampus hippocampus and Hippocampus ramulosus) are found around Britain although here, as in the rest of the world, their numbers are under threat.

Seahorses and their close relatives pipefish and seadragons are unique in that it is the male that becomes pregnant, carrying and incubating the eggs in a specially-adapted stomach pouch until they hatch.

The male carries the eggs for up to four weeks before giving birth to as many as 1500 young over a period of up to 12 hours. The male is then capable of becoming pregnant again within a couple of days!

Seahorses have been known to pair for life. It is thought that the longer they remain together the better they become at producing babies.

Like chameleons, seahorses' have the ability to change colour very quickly and match any surroundings in which they find themselves. Seahorses have even been known to go bright red to match debris floating in the sea.

Unlike fish, seahorses have no tail fin. Instead they use their prehensile tails to grab onto seagrass or pieces of coral - anchoring themselves in one place.

Seahorses are certainly not the fastest moving fish in the world but can move surprisingly quickly over short distances.

Although they appear fragile, seahorses are covered in armoured plates which help protect them from predators.

Virtually all species of seahorse are now under threat. Use in traditional Chinese medicine is by far the biggest killer of seahorses with up to 30 million individuals taken every year from 65 different countries. The souvenir trade also accounts for 1 million deaths annually.

Unfortunately, seahorses also live in some of the world's most endangered habitats - coral reefs, mangroves and estuaries, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation and human interference.

Public aquariums worldwide - like the Blue Reef Aquarium - are now developing captive-breeding programmes to ensure no more are taken from the wild and to raise public awareness of their plight.