Sea HorsesBY: AMBER GARCIA

TAXONOMY

Hippocampus

Hippocampus

-Kingdom: Animalia-Phylum :Chordata-Class: Actinopterygii-Order: Syngnathiformus-Family: Syngnathidae-Genus: Hippocampus

HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION

Sheltered in seaweed & tropical waters.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Seahorses have a long snout and a bony covering.

Five Senses-Taste: Crunchy-Smell: Fishy; Great senseof smell-Touch: Very bony-Sight: Are like lizardsthe right eye stays right and the left stays left-Hearing: Great listeners

BEHAVIOR Seahorses swim upright with tails down and heads up. They are poor swimmers and there are over 72,000 seahorses in the Gulf of Mexico.

RESPIRATION

Passive Diffusion

THERMOREGULATION Provides steady body temperature for the

seahorses.

DIET

•Water Fleas•Crustaceans•Small Shrimp

FOOD WEB

EATING HABITS

Seahorses use a special sucking movement of their snout.

Predators

•Crabs•Rays•Tuna Fish

REPRODUCTION & YOUNG CARE

In reproduction the male becomes pregnant! When they are born the male doesn’t takecare of the baby seahorse.Also, when they are bornthey are so tiny, many floataway but are able to surviveby finding food.

Cause of Death Pollution

Overfishing

CAUSE OF DEATH CONT.

•Angler Fish•Flatheads

THREATS TO SPECIES

Environmental: PollutionManmade: Oil Spill

LONGEVITY & CAUSE OF DEATHThe seahorse have a life span of 1 to 5 years. They mature to adulthood only after three months.