Ragged seahorse. Lifestyle and habitat of the rag-picker. Rag-picker, or herbal sea dragon Small fish sea horse rag-picker
Among the large number of fish there are unique representatives this class. At first glance, it is not even clear that it is a fish in front of you, however, it is. In the class of ray-finned fish, there is a creature called seahorse rag-picker, or just a rag-picker.
It is worth saying that this wonderful and unusual creature is more like a lace napkin than a rag, and it was somehow too modest to come up with the name “rag-picker” for this creature! The ragpicker is a representative of the needle-shaped order, the needle-like family.
What is so unusual in the appearance of a rag-picker seahorse?
The entire surface of the body of the fish is covered with numerous outgrowths, with a soft structure. Outwardly, they look like ribbons developing in the wind. Therefore, among the algae, this animal is completely invisible. But its beauty can be admired endlessly, because the rag-picker seahorse is more like a decorative figurine than an ordinary fish. This is truly a beautiful underwater creature!
The body length of an adult fish, on average, reaches 35 centimeters. The color of the rag-picker is different: yellowish-green, yellow or orange-yellow. The mouth opening resembles a tube. Through it, food enters the body. The torso and head are connected to each other ... by the neck! Do you see this in other fish? On the head are two very expressive big eyes.
Where does the rag-picker live?
This animal is characterized by areas with moderate temperatures, so you can meet it in the waters indian ocean: near the coast of the Australian continent (more precisely, its southern, southeastern and southwestern parts). In addition, the rag-picker seahorse lives in the eastern and northern part of the island of Tasmania (which is an island state of Australia).
Lifestyle and behavior of a rag-picker
The natural habitats of this fish are considered Coral reefs and shallow water (up to 20 meters). The water temperature, as mentioned above, should be moderate.
Looking at this creature, it seems that it is harmless and very calm. But beauty is deceiving! The rag-picker seahorse is a real predator! And shrimp become its victims. Due to the lack of teeth, the rag-picker cannot separate the caught prey into parts, so he simply swallows it whole into his long tubular mouth. For a whole day, the animal is able to eat as many as 3,000 shrimp! How gluttonous he turns out to be, this rag-picker!
Research scientists have shown that under the conditions wildlife The rag-picker seahorse lives up to four to five years.
What does a ragfish eat?
The main food for these representatives of the needle family is, of course, however, rag-pickers eat plankton and small underwater plants. When food gets into the rag-picker oral cavity, then some kind of filtration occurs: the water is poured back into environment through the gills, and the food, already filtered, remains in the mouth.
seahorse breeding
The mating season for these fish falls on the first half of summer. When the female and male form a pair, they begin picturesque pair "dances". Both partners move smoothly and at the same time still change their color.
After that, the female lays eggs, there are often about 150 of them in a clutch. And she lays them ... no - no, not on algae leaves and not even on stones, but on ... the male's tail! Until the very birth of the fry, the male rag-picker carries the egg clutch on himself.
A month later (sometimes two months), fry appear that are capable of independent life immediately after hatching. In my own way appearance they look like adults, but they are quite defenseless, and their parents have already abandoned them and no longer protect them. Therefore, a very small percentage of fry survive to adulthood.
Human Application
Seahorses-rag-pickers are caught mainly for placing them in aquariums. But too frequent capture of these fish led to the fact that their population began to decline sharply, so they are taken under protection, and their official capture is prohibited by law.
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body length rag-picker can reach 35 cm.
Habitat rag-pickers: Indian Ocean.
Appearance
seahorse rag-picker- very unusual fish, whose entire body is covered with processes. These processes look like algae and serve as an excellent means of camouflage. The considered representatives of the needle move very slowly with the help of almost transparent fins, so it seems that they seem to be floating in the water column. This ability allows them to remain invisible in the thickets of algae.
Habitat and food
inhabit rag-pickers mainly on coral reefs and shallow waters, in dense thickets of algae coastal waters Tasmania and Australia. An interesting fact is that these fish spend their whole lives in the place of their birth. They feed mainly on algae, small crustaceans and plankton, while they themselves contain practically no nutrients, and are of no interest to more big fish, the only exceptions are stingrays. These are currently interesting creatures are under the protection of the Australian government, because. due to industrial pollution natural environment habitation, their population is rapidly declining. It should be noted that the Australians have always been in awe of these creatures, so rag-picker seahorse is the emblem of one of the states of Australia and even adorns one of the coins.
Reproduction and lifespan
Female rag-picker lays about 120 eggs, which, after fertilization, are attached to the tail of the male. Every morning, throughout the entire period from laying eggs to the appearance of babies, lovers arrange mating dances in front of each other, while the color of their bodies becomes brighter and more saturated. After birth, babies immediately become independent, which is why their survival rate is no more than 5 percent. The life expectancy of these fish is on average about 5 years.
Features and habitat of the rag-picker
seahorse rag-picker belongs to the species of ray-finned fish, a representative of needle-shaped, detachment - needle.
« rag-picker» why exactly so called small fish? - it would seem that the question is reasonable, but only if you never see it - the numerous camouflage growths on the body of the skate resemble small rags swaying in the water.
body length adult can reach 35 cm. There are rag-pickers of a wide variety of shades of yellow, but invariably darkened processes remain common to all. If necessary, the fish can change its shade.
The main difference between this species and the rest seahorses- Unusual appearance. The body and head of the fish are covered with light, transparent, shapeless processes resembling seaweed.
The horse looks very impressive, but he needs these processes not for beauty - they serve to disguise.
Thus, thanks to unusual shape the bodies of the rag-picker are almost impossible to see among the dense algae.
This helps him stay alive when the enemy approaches, and also makes the hunting process much easier for him.
It is worth noting that skates are not included in the constant diet of others. predatory fish(except for stingrays), since their body contains practically no nutrients - a sedentary lifestyle does not require them to build up muscle mass, and, in addition, in an adult, there are almost 2 times more bones than in other fish.
The structure of the body of a rag-picker similar to others seahorses- the mouth resembles a long thin tube, the small head is connected to the elongated body by the neck, two small, but beautiful eyes that move independently of each other.
You can meet the fish in the waters of the Indian Ocean, washing Australia and Tasmania. Mainly the rag-picker dwells in coral reefs at a depth of 4 to 20 (rarely 30) meters, loves moderate temperatures and dense thickets of algae.
This species is under the protection of the Australian government, as it is endangered. Caused by this sad fact large quantity industrial emissions into the waters of the Indian Ocean, as well as the direct intervention of people in the life of fish.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to resist the beauty of the rag-picker, and amateur divers often make underwater sorties solely in order to catch a few fish for home aquarium even though it is punishable by law.
The character and lifestyle of a rag-picker
It would seem thanks to a large number fin-like processes, the fish must move at great speed, however, in the process of movement, the processes do not play any role.
Swims rag-picker only with the help of a pair of chest and one dorsal fin. The process itself is carried out by means of a quick (about 10 times per second) swaying of transparent fins, which seems to carry the fish downstream. In this state, it is also easily mistaken for a small floating kelp.
The skate constantly maintains a vertical position, as the bubble passes throughout the body to the head, where its largest part is located.
Max speed the movement of an adult is 150 meters per minute, the fish can keep it for a long time, thereby overcoming considerable distances.
Of course, this speed is not enough to break away from the enemy, so the only defense mechanism in the rag-picker's arsenal is disguise.
It is also noteworthy that the seahorse can retain full real estate for the purpose of camouflage on long time(up to 68 hours), only its appendages will move in time with the movement of water, reinforcing the impression that it is a seaweed.
Distinctive feature all seahorses have a tail, which they can use to grab onto algae in case of rough water or a storm, however, this species does not have this ability, so rag-pickers often washed ashore, as a result of which they die in large numbers.
The rag-picker's food
Despite the outward beauty and fragility, rag-picker- the real one predator. Being a small fish, the seahorse is forced to look for even smaller food.
As a rule, the rag-picker feeds on small crustaceans, plankton and a variety of algae. Moreover, the amount of food absorbed daily is very impressive - with a successful hunt, a horse can swallow up to 3,000 small shrimps.
The meal itself is uncomplicated - the skate simply swallows the prey whole, due to the lack of teeth or mouth plates in order to survive it.
While the food reaches the esophagus, a filtration process takes place, as a result, the water swallowed along with the prey exits through the gills, and the food itself is swallowed by the fish.
Hunting can be done remotely - gill covers create traction, with the help of which the ridge can draw in prey from a distance of 4 cm.
Reproduction and life span of a rag-picker
Begins mating season at the beginning of summer with intricate dances future partners. As with other types of skates, male seaweed performs a key role in the process of childbearing, and this despite the fact that he does not have an egg bag, where the eggs are usually placed by the female for fertilization and gestation.
The female lays about 120 dark red eggs, which are located in a special place near the tail of the male.
There, the fertilization process takes place and the eggs live on the father's body for another 4-8 weeks, until the babies appear.
Throughout pregnancy, the female and male stay nearby, periodically arranging a belated mating dance, during which the skin color of both individuals becomes much brighter than usual.
As soon as the babies are born, they immediately enter into an independent life, left to their own devices, the parents do not take any part in raising them.
Unfortunately, only 5 percent of these unusual creatures survive to adulthood and are able to produce the next generation. With a favorable set of circumstances in the wild, a skate a rag-picker lives about 5 years.
Among a large number of fish there are unique representatives of this class. At first glance, it is not even clear that it is a fish in front of you, however, it is. In the class of ray-finned fish, there is a creature called the rag-picker seahorse, or simply the rag-picker.
It is worth saying that this wonderful and unusual creature is more like a lace napkin than a rag, and it was somehow too modest to come up with the name “rag-picker” for this creature! The ragpicker is a representative of the needle-shaped order, the needle-like family.
What is so unusual in the appearance of a rag-picker seahorse?
The entire surface of the body of the fish is covered with numerous outgrowths, with a soft structure. Outwardly, they look like ribbons developing in the wind. Therefore, among the algae, this animal is completely invisible. But its beauty can be admired endlessly, because the rag-picker seahorse is more like a decorative figurine than an ordinary fish. This is truly a beautiful underwater creature!
Most small view- the pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) is only 2 cm long. It is completely indistinguishable from coral branches The body length of an adult fish, on average, reaches 35 centimeters. The color of the rag-picker is different: yellowish-green, yellow or orange-yellow. The mouth opening resembles a tube. Through it, food enters the body. The torso and head are connected to each other ... by the neck! Do you see this in other fish? On the head are two very expressive large eyes.
Where does the rag-picker live?
This animal is characterized by areas with moderate temperatures, so it can be found in the waters of the Indian Ocean: near the coast of the Australian continent (more precisely, its southern, southeastern and southwestern parts). In addition, the rag-picker seahorse lives in the eastern and northern part of the island of Tasmania (which is an island state of Australia).
Lifestyle and behavior of a rag-picker
The natural habitats of this fish are coral reefs and shallow water (up to 20 meters). The water temperature, as mentioned above, should be moderate.
Looking at this creature, it seems that it is harmless and very calm. But beauty is deceiving! The rag-picker seahorse is a real predator! And shrimp become its victims. Due to the lack of teeth, the rag-picker cannot separate the caught prey into parts, so he simply swallows it whole into his long tubular mouth. For a whole day, the animal is able to eat as many as 3,000 shrimp! How gluttonous he turns out to be, this rag-picker!
Research by scientists has shown that in the wild, the rag-picker seahorse lives up to four to five years.
What does a ragfish eat?
The main food for these representatives of the needle family is, of course, however, rag-pickers eat plankton and small underwater plants. When food enters the rag-picker's mouth, some kind of filtration occurs: water is poured back into the environment through the gills, and the food, already filtered, remains in the mouth.
seahorse breeding
The mating season for these fish falls on the first half of summer. When the female and male form a pair, they begin picturesque pair "dances". Both partners move smoothly and at the same time still change their color.
After that, the female lays eggs, there are often about 150 of them in a clutch. And she lays them ... no - no, not on algae leaves and not even on stones, but on ... the male's tail! Until the very birth of the fry, the male rag-picker carries the egg clutch on himself.
A month later (sometimes two months), fry appear that are capable of independent life immediately after hatching. In their appearance, they look like adults, but they are quite defenseless, and their parents have already left them and no longer protect them. Therefore, a very small percentage of fry survive to adulthood.
Human Application
Seahorses-rag-pickers are caught mainly for placing them in aquariums. But too frequent capture of these fish led to the fact that their population began to decline sharply, so they are taken under protection, and their official capture is prohibited by law.
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