- Seahorses change color when under stress. They have the ability to rapidly change color to blend in with their environment.
- During courting, which can last for days, seahorses link tails and float for hours.
- A pregnant male seahorse has many of the same hormones as pregnant mammals do.
- Every seahorse has a coral net on it’s head. No two are alike, like human fingerprints.
- Seahorses are so bony they don’t have many predators. Penguins are the main natural predator. The main concern for seahorses are humans who harvest them for trinkets, medicine, and food.
- Seahorses can die from exhaustion from swimming in rough waters.
- Male seahorses use their tails to fight during mating season. Females never fight males, just other females. This is usually for territory or food.
- Seahorses don’t have teeth or a stomach. Due to a fast digestion process, they are almost constantly eating. Most of their lives are spent eating or sleeping.
- Males and females dance for their mates and change color once a day, sort of like a greeting. They ignore each other the rest of the day.
- Seahorses live for one to five years. Larger seahorses live longer than smaller ones.
MR. SEAHORSE by Eric Carle
