| Seahorses breed frequently in home aquariums. | | | | milk in mammals. Prolactin will provide nutrition for |
| They are prone to monogamous relationships. The | | | | the newly hatched seahorses. The incubation |
| courtship ritual between seahorses is a long | | | | period or pregnancy will last from 2 to 4 weeks |
| arduous process that takes several days. Both | | | | depending on the species. |
| seahorses' colors will intensify in the course of | | | | The female will visit the male every morning |
| courtship. Courtship begins with them swimming | | | | during the incubation period. She will hold the |
| side by side while holding each other's tails. They | | | | male's tail and they will wheel around amongst the |
| will wheel around in unison as precursor to | | | | sea grass fronds in their natural habitat for |
| spawning. This display of affection has become | | | | several minutes. Then she will simply swim away |
| known as the "pre-dawn dance." Eventually they | | | | until the next morning rolls around. |
| will enter into the mating dance that will often | | | | Shortly after the fry hatch the male's body will |
| continue for as long as 8 hours. During this time | | | | undergo a series of muscular contractions. These |
| the male will pump water into the egg pouch on | | | | contractions will act to expel the newborn from |
| his truck. The egg pouch will expand and open to | | | | his pouch. The average release of young is |
| display its appealing emptiness to the female. | | | | 100-200 newborns. The number can be as low as |
| They will then let go of their anchors and drift | | | | 5 or 6 or as high as 1,500 depending on the |
| upward snout to snout often spiraling around each | | | | particular species. Males typically expel their young |
| other as they rise. The female will then use her | | | | at night. By morning the male is ready to begin |
| ovipositor to insert her eggs into the male's | | | | the cycle all over again. |
| brooding pouch for fertilization. The female's body | | | | Seahorses do not care for their young once they |
| will grow slimmer as she releases her eggs. The | | | | are released from the protection of the brooding |
| male's body will swell accordingly. Both seahorses | | | | pouch. They are simply left to drift away in ocean |
| will then sink back down to the bottom and the | | | | currents. Fewer than 5 out of 1,000 newly born |
| female will swim away. Scientists believe this | | | | seahorses will survive to reach adulthood. As bad |
| complicated spawning ritual serves to synchronize | | | | as these odds may appear, they are actually one |
| the couple for the deposit and fertilization of the | | | | of the higher survivability rates among aquatic |
| eggs. | | | | saltwater species. The fact that the eggs are |
| The fertilized eggs will become enveloped with | | | | secure in the protective environment of the |
| tissue and embedded in the brood pouch. The | | | | male's brooding pouch until they hatch is the most |
| pouch will regulate oxygen to the eggs and act as | | | | significant contributing factor toward their survival |
| an incubation chamber. The male's body will begin | | | | rates. Most marine species eggs are simply |
| producing a hormone called prolactin. This hormone | | | | abandoned to be consumed by what ever fish |
| is delivered directly into the pouch. Prolactin is the | | | | comes across them. |
| same hormone responsible for the production of | | | | |