THE INCREDIBLE BEAUTY OF SEAHORSE DADS

If human fathers could become seahorses for a couple of months, they would likely have a greater appreciation for human mothers and would likely become better parents to their children.

Seahorse fathers rock -- because early on, they act like wonderful mothers. Males are the ones who get pregnant and carry on with gestation until they release their babies into the sea. 

There are 54 species of fish, known as seahorses (Hippocampus). The head and neck of a seahorse look like an equine horse and the swim in an upright posture. They sport segmented bony armor and a curled prehensile tail.

A female seahorse produces up to 2,500 eggs in each clutch, then deposits them in the belly pouch of a male seahorse. The male carries the eggs for 9 to 45 days until the fully developed tiny babies are released into the water.

DNA analysis showed gene expression in pregnant male seahorses is very similar to gene expression in expecting human moms.

Seahorse fathers a rather romantic as well. They court potential mothers for several days before finally mating, dancing together to get into their rhythms and into their groove, synchronizing with their movements and reproductive states.

Seahorse foreplay lasts about 8 hours, as the male pumps water through his egg pouch, opening it up to display its readiness to accept an egg deposit. The pair spirals as they rise up out of the seagrass, snout-to-snout, focused upon each other for about 6 minutes, before eggs are deposited.

As the female releases her eggs, her body slims while his swells. Seawater enters the father’s pouch, creating a hyperosmotic environment to trigger sperm activation and motility. 

The father seahorse supplies the eggs with prolactin, the same hormone responsible for milk production in pregnant mammals. His pouch also provides oxygen and nutrients to the brood. It offers physical and immunological protection as the embryos develop. 

After about 2 to 4 weeks, depending on specific species, the eggs hatch in the father’s pouch, where the salinity of the water is regulated, getting the babies ready for their life at sea.

As soon as babies are released, both father & mother move on to begin another batch. Less than 0.5% of babies survive, which helps to explain why litters are so large & why male seahorses evolved to protect gestation, while females quickly begin to produce new eggs.

Read more about Beautiful Fathers in 10 Beautiful Gifts For Beautiful Fathers Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Ta-graphy. Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus).
2. Image: by Florin Dumitrescu. The Black-Sea seahorse is a rare sight in the shallow waters of Eforie-Sud.
3. Image: by Craig Nagy. Seahorse.
4. Image: by Klaus Stiefel. Seadragon Eggs. Botany Bay, Australia.
5. Image: by Elias Levy. Bargibant's Pigmy Seahorse. Hippocampus bargibanti.
6. Image: by wolf4max. Seahorses.
7. Image: by Felicito Rustique, Jr. Seahorses.
8. Image: by William Buelow Gould. Courtesy of Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office. Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) watercolour from “Sketchbook of Fishes,” by Van Diemonian & William Buelow Gould.
9. Image: by Ryan Guill. TN Aquarium.
10. Image: by Joanne Merriam. Potbelly Seahorses.
11. Image: by James Rosindell. Leafy Seadragon on Kangaroo Island.
12. Image: by Pierre Metivier. Phycodurus eques / Leafy Sea Dragon.
13. Image: by Brett Lewis. Seahorse.
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: by Peter Liu. Pacific Seahorse. Cousins Rock, Bartolome, Galapagos Islands.