What does a seahorse breathe. Seahorse - message report. Interesting facts about seahorses
The unusual appearance of the seahorse makes it a popular inhabitant of aquariums. Its bizarre vertical shape and unusual mode of movement attract attention. But before you get such a pet, you should know the rules of care, the features of its behavior and coexistence with other inhabitants.
Habitat
Seahorses live in warm tropical and subtropical waters. Found off the coast of England. Some species live in the Black and Azov Seas. 
They prefer salty and clean water, quiet calm backwaters. It is the sea waves and pitching that pose a great danger to such fish.
Description
This is a bony fish from the marine needle family.. It has a vertical body structure, from 2 to 30 cm in height. Their body is covered with a hard bony shell. In females, the shell is solid, while in males, the shell is only on top, the lower part is not protected.
His head does not turn and is rigidly connected to the body, but his eyes can rotate 360 °, and separately from each other, like a chameleon. And like chameleons they can change body color adapting to the environment.
This helps them hide from predators or when hunting for plankton. They spend their whole lives almost motionless, catching algae or corals with their tail. 
Did you know? The seahorse has practically no natural enemies. Their body is so rigid that no one has the strength to gnaw through a fish. They are hunted only by large land crabs that are able to digest it.
These fish have the simplest structure of the digestive system, they do not have a stomach and teeth, so they always eat. They lie in wait for their prey and suck up water along with plankton.
Before you start settling fish in an aquarium, you need to prepare a habitat for them:
- Aquarium preparation. It is best to prepare a new one, with a wall height of 50-60 cm and a volume of 60-70 liters per individual.
- Aquarium decor. Quartz sand or special soil for reef aquariums is used as a substrate. Both live and artificial brown are planted in it. Decorative stones, driftwood, artificial racks are placed. All this will allow animals to cling to their tails and hunt. It is worth considering quiet places, grottoes, where the skates can rest.
- Water preparation. Water should be clean, filtered, salty. The water temperature all year round should be 23-24°C. Therefore, in summer it is worth taking care of cooling, and in winter - about heating the aquarium.
- Lighting. Skates do not tolerate bright light. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust this issue if you plan to combine ordinary reef fish, corals and skates.
- Filtration. The water in the aquarium should be clean and not very fast flowing, 10 revolutions of the total volume of water per hour is enough. A good set for such an aquarium will be a skimmer and a pump. The skimmer will filter the water, collect sewage and feces, saturate the water with oxygen, and the pump will create an optimum flow rate.
Important! The aquarium should not contain any potentially dangerous items for skates that could injure or harm them. Including stinging corals and anemones.
The aquarium is now ready to move in.
Skates are monogamous, the loss of a partner often ends in death for them, so they should be bought and populated in pairs.
Feeding
The process of feeding skates is different from feeding other fish.
Captive-bred fish will happily accept frozen Mysis, while sea-caught skates will refuse them and will eat only live food. Since the extraction of live food is associated with some troubles, it is worth accustoming skates to thawed and dry food. 
The skate can eat dry fish food, pounded to the desired state. Over time, a colony of living creatures and mysids can form in the aquarium, on which skates will hunt with pleasure.
Also, do not feed the fish exclusively with brine shrimp - they lack important substances, as well as low nutritional value.
The food should always be fresh, and feeding daily. One individual eats 6-7 shrimps at one meal. They are fed three to four times a day.
There are two ways to feed:
1. From hands. Feed is given with the help of hands or a rubber douche. The method is slow, it will take 15-20 minutes to slowly feed one portion, but it is suitable as fun.
2. Feeders. Seashells, stones with notches, glass saucers and containers are suitable as a feeder. Feed is placed in these feeders, the fish swim up and eat at a convenient time for them. 
First, you need to feed the fish - with the help of a syringe, lower the shrimp into the feeder several times and the skates will figure out where and when to swim for food.
Install several sticks near the feeder - the skates will cling to them with their tails while eating.
Compatibility with other inhabitants
Due to its leisurely behavior, the seahorse will not be able to get along with every aquarium inhabitant. They are slow, prone to stress, hard to accept changes.
It is often even recommended to keep a separate aquarium just for skates. There is quite a lot of truth in this advice, but with proper planning, it is quite possible to organize a well-functioning system from different types of fish, corals, shellfish. 
Skates coexist well with:
- fish- blenny Synchiropus, scorpionfish, some cardinal fish and royal Gramm, small gobies. The main factor that makes it possible to determine a good neighbor is its low activity. Highly active fish will irritate the skates, suppress them, and take away food.
Important! First, you need to plant skates in an empty aquarium, and only after a few days, in small batches of selected neighbors.
Dangerous neighbors:
- fish- any large, active fish will irritate the skates and take away food from them;
- invertebrates- large crayfish, they can attack skates and inflict wounds on them with their claws, sea anemones are able to sting with stinging cells;
- corals- almost all corals are bad neighbors, many species have stinging stinging cells, others require intense lighting. There are several types of corals that can be hooked, but if there is no complete certainty that this is the right coral, then it is better not to risk it and replace the living one with an artificial one.
Breeding
Breeding fish at home is an interesting activity, but it may not always work out. It is necessary to create ideal conditions for each individual species.
Skates form pairs for a long time, it is not uncommon for one pair to hold on to each other all their lives. This is due to the peculiarities of their reproduction - males and females must achieve synchronism in their readiness to "become parents". 
These fish reproduce differently than other animals. The key difference is that the male carries the fry. He has a special bag in his stomach where the female lays her eggs. Therefore, attention is sought not by the male, but by the female.
The beginning of the mating season of the fish is determined by the lunar cycle and the beginning of the ebb tide. It was then, with a strong current, that the fry are carried into the sea. The courtship begins with a courtship dance that begins at dawn.
It is started by the female, moving vertically in the water column, followed by the male. Gradually, the dance becomes more complicated, the animals begin to click. Synchronization is important in this dance, this is the secret of successful pairing of skates.
The female has an ovipositor and the male has a pouch where the female lays her eggs. In the bag, the eggs are fertilized, and the male bears them. The number of eggs depends on the type of animal and ranges from 60 to 1500. 
Did you know? During mating games, skates not only dance, but also exchange« kisses» - touch« lips».
Pregnancy lasts 50-60 days, after which the male pushes the fry out of the bag. This is where care for the offspring ends, and the kids begin an independent life. Childbirth is quite difficult, they can last several days, and the risk of death of the male is high.
The percentage of survival of fry is quite small, out of a hundred born alive, 4-5 remain.
Diseases
Little is known about the diseases of these fish. They are affected by viral diseases, some protozoal and bacterial aeromonosis.
Infection can occur both from sick animals and contaminated decor that have fallen into the aquarium, and spontaneously, under the influence of stress. 
A sick fish is removed from the main aquarium to a quarantine one. It should not contain living creatures and plants, only plastic algae and stones in which a sick animal can hide. The light in such an aquarium should be subdued, weaker than the main one.
Antibiotics ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol are used to treat bacteria.
As a preventive measure, you can take the following measures:
- quarantine all newly arrived skates for several days;
- when transplanting skates, treat them with anti-stress drugs;
- regularly inspect each fish, and if you notice spots, bubbles, whitening of body parts, wounds, other violations, immediately send it to quarantine;
- All decor must be cleaned and disinfected during installation.
In the absence of disease and good prevention, the average horse lives 3-4 years.
How to distinguish between female and male
It is not always easy to distinguish between a male and a female visually.
Their main features are:
- the female is completely covered with a bone shell, the lower part of the male is free;
- the male in the lower part of the body has a clearly visible bag in which he bears eggs.
The seahorse is a very curious pet. It is pleasant to watch him, it is interesting to feed him. 
Program content:
Introduce children to the seahorse (appearance, lifestyle, behavior).
Vocabulary: seahorse, horizontally, vertically, serving.
Expand children's knowledge about the Red Book.
Cultivate respect for nature.
Equipment:
Photos of a seahorse, chess piece "horse", paper, templates for a seahorse figurine, pencils.
Lesson progress:
In the thickets of sea grass in the Black Sea, you can see funny fish - seahorses. These are very interesting creatures. Take a look at the photo. The head of these fish is exactly like a horse, but there are no scales, the body is covered with hard bone plates. With its tail bent forward, the monkey-like seahorse clings to the stalks of sea grass. The mouth of the skate is a tube, which he is. Like a vacuum cleaner, it sucks in worms, crustaceans and other small animals. The eyes of the seahorse rotate in any direction, and if one eye looks to the right, the other at this time may stare at something to the left. This is very convenient for the skate, as it can simultaneously inspect the algae from all sides in search of food and follow the enemies, who themselves are not averse to having lunch with them.
The seahorse does not like to swim and spends most of its life clinging to algae with its tail. Swims only in search of food, during the wedding and escaping from enemies.
He swims with a "candle", belly forward, in an upright position. What does "vertically" mean? (Answers of children). Show your palm upright.
The seahorse will graze. He eats, and then he ties himself with his tail to a stalk of algae and again stands, rests until the next feeding.
Poem about a seahorse
In the sea, in the playful thickets,
The flame of a light curls -
Inflate the water mane
A skittish horse.
He sees any mink,
Watching the prey vigilantly,
Do not yawn, silly crustacean:
From the enemy - one jump.
It seems that the seahorse is waving its fins quickly, but the speed is still small. Therefore, the skate rarely succeeds in escaping. He managed to hide - he escaped, but caught the eye of the enemy - they will catch up and eat him.
Fishermen call the seahorse a sea caterpillar. Take a close look at the photo again. Why do you think it is called the sea caterpillar? (Answers of children). The lower part of the body of the skate, especially in motion, looks like a caterpillar. And the upper part, according to many, looks like a horse chess piece. Here is the figure. (Showing a chess piece). Do you agree with this opinion? How do you think there is a resemblance? (Answers of children).
Game "Seahorses"
I suggest you play a little. The carpet is the sea, at the bottom of which you can find worms and crustaceans - the favorite food of seahorses. Each of you will now turn into a skate and go to feed. Attention! Your task is to find 4 crustaceans and 7 worms for each. Get ready! Forward! (After that, the correctness of the task is calculated - counting "crustaceans" and "worms").
Seahorses do not like to change their place of residence and usually remain for life where their father gave birth. It is the father, not the mother. In skates, the female lays eggs in a special pouch on the male's abdomen. And it all starts with the fact that once in a beautiful underwater "park" the skate first politely bowed to the female, and then invited her to dance. If she agrees, then the dance begins. The skates either approach and greet each other, then gradually move away ... and then approach again. This goes on sometimes for days. To make it more convenient to dance, the skates hug each other with the ends of their tails and sing, or rather, make sounds like this. (Snapping fingers). Try to make that sound yourself. (Children snap their fingers).
This is where the holiday ends. The female lays her eggs in a pouch on the male's belly and swims away forever. And the father-horse bears caviar. When tiny skates hatch from the eggs in the male's abdomen and begin to flounder, he chooses a secluded place and begins to give birth. To be hooked for stability with a tail for algae, bends, writhes. Finally, his abdominal pouch bursts, ruptures, and the newly-born sons and daughters, as expected, head down, in portions fall out. How do you understand the meaning of the word "in portions"? (Answers of children). This means not all at once, but in turn, in groups.
There are quite a lot of kids - 100 or 200, so at the end of the birth, the exhausted dad gets so tired that he sinks to the bottom without strength and lies there for a long time, resting in an unloved horizontal position. What does "horizontally" mean? (Answers of children). Show your palm in a horizontal position.
The newly born skates are the spitting image of their parents. And immediately cling to the algae with their tails. They keep close to their father and in case of danger. On a special sound signal, they hide in his empty pouch on his abdomen. After the danger of a blowjob, nimble kids get out again. Over time, this bag overgrows, and the seahorse is again handsome, and again invites the pretty “seahorse” to dance, and everyone will repeat again.
Now there are less and less seahorses in the Black Sea. The seahorse is even listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. What is this book and who is included there? (Answers of children). Skates are caught not only specifically for the preparation of medicines from them, but often vacationers as a funny souvenir are caught, dried and taken home. The horse is a coastal resident. He can't swim fast, so it's easy to catch him. Some try to take skates for the aquarium in jars of sea water, but skates do not live in aquariums - they die immediately.
I really hope that if you happen to meet a seahorse, then you will limit yourself to watching him, and not rush to catch. And if you see how others do it, tell them about the seahorse, ask them not to offend these amazing fish.
And now let's try to dance the dance of seahorses. Get couples. (Children, following the model of an adult, dance to the music).
It's time to remember what you remember about seahorses.
Questions:
1. Is a seahorse a shellfish or a fish? Prove it.
2. What does a seahorse eat?
3. Why is it said about the skate that he tied himself by the tail?
4. What is the seahorse compared to? Who does he look like?
5. How do skates swim?
6. What kind of eyes do seahorses have?
7. When do skates dance?
8. How are seahorse babies born?
9. When does a seahorse lie horizontally on the bottom?
10. Why are seahorses listed in the Red Book?
And at the end of our lesson, I suggest you draw an episode from the life of a seahorse. You can draw the skate itself by circling the template. But what moment of his life you will depict, think over in advance. Do not forget about the safety of the skate - be sure to draw algae in which he can hide. Get to work. (After completing the work, the children are invited to give a name to their drawing, look at the drawings of their comrades and try to determine what moment in the life of the skate is shown).
Among the inhabitants of the seas and oceans, quite interesting and unusual representatives of the underwater fauna are often found, about which, unfortunately, we know little. One of these inhabitants of sea waters is the seahorse, which differs from the rest of the inhabitants of the seas in its unusual appearance. But in addition to their amazing body shape, they boast some more features and interesting facts:
- these marine bony fish of the sea needle family, in appearance very similar to a chess horse, have a unique ability to change their appearance. At the same time, not only their color can change, but even the shape of the body;
- in the water, the body of these marine inhabitants is located not like that of other fish, but vertically or sometimes diagonally. This position is due to the presence of a large swim bladder located on the body of the skate;
- the body of these sea horses is covered with bone plates, which are so strong that they can protect against many dangers. Even after the death of the skate, it is almost impossible to break this kind of armor;
- These slow-moving fish are not able to swim quickly, they only move slowly and gracefully in the water. But they have learned to deftly hide and disguise themselves well;
- the male acts as the mother of the skates, it is he who bears up to a thousand eggs in a special brood bag. Considering that the role of father in the family of skates is performed by the female, it is the female individuals who fight among themselves for the right to get one or another male;
- only 5 percent of newborn skates reach the age of two;
- depending on the species, the size of these fish can be from 2 to 35 centimeters. Their life expectancy is often around 5 years;
- despite the absence of teeth, these inhabitants of the seas are predators and eat small shrimps and crustaceans, simply sucking them up like a pipette;
- thanks to the unique structure of the eyes, skates can cover a sector of approximately 300 degrees with their vision;
- during severe storms, these fish are saved by the fact that they are held by algae with their tails. Unfortunately, such species as rag-pickers are not adapted to this, and therefore, during a storm, they often end up on land, where they die;
To date, the population of seahorses continues to fall, all because of their exotic appearance, thanks to which many people catch seahorses as souvenirs. There are also gourmets who love to feast on these marine life. By the way, a portion of cooked seahorses is estimated at about $800.
The seahorse is a genus of small marine bony fish of the family of marine needles of the needle-shaped order. The number of species of seahorses is about 50. The unusual shape of the body of a horse resembles a chess piece of a horse. Numerous long spikes and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths located on the body of the seahorse make it invisible among algae and inaccessible to predators. The sizes of seahorses range from 2 to 30 cm, depending on the species to which a particular individual belongs. An interesting feature of the seahorse is that the male bears their offspring.
The taxonomy of the seahorse is very confusing due to the unique ability of these fish to change their appearance - color and even body shape. The closest relatives of seahorses are small fish - sea needles, which have much in common in the structure of the body with skates. However, the body shape and manner of movement in the water of sea "horses" is completely unusual.
The body of seahorses in the water is located unconventionally for fish - vertically or diagonally. The reason for this is the relatively large swim bladder, most of which is located in the upper body of the seahorse. It is impossible to confuse these graceful and colorful fish, similar to jewelry or toys, with any inhabitant of the water element.
The body of a seahorse is not covered with scales, but with bone plates. Barbed armor protects them from danger. The armor is so strong that it is almost impossible to break even a dried dead animal. However, in his shell, he is so light and fast that he literally soars in the water, and his body shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow - from orange to bluish blue, from lemon yellow to fiery red. By the brightness of the colors, it is just right to compare this fish with tropical birds and brightly colored coral reef fish.
These fish live in the seas of tropical and subtropical zones. Their range encircles the entire globe. Seahorses live in shallow waters among seaweed beds or among corals. These are sedentary and generally very inactive fish. Typically, seahorses wrap their tail around a twig of coral or a tuft of seagrass and spend most of their time in this position. But large sea dragons do not know how to attach themselves to vegetation. For short distances they swim holding the body vertically, if they have to leave the "house", then they can swim in an almost horizontal position. They swim slowly. In general, the nature of these fish is surprisingly calm and meek; seahorses do not show aggression towards fellow tribesmen and other fish.
They feed on plankton. They track down the smallest crustaceans, rolling their eyes funny. As soon as the prey approaches the miniature hunter, the seahorse puffs out its cheeks, creating negative pressure in the oral cavity and sucks the crustacean like a vacuum cleaner. Despite their small size, skates are big eaters and can indulge in gluttony up to 10 hours a day.
Seahorses have only three small fins: the dorsal fin helps them swim forward, and the two gill fins maintain vertical balance and serve as a rudder.
In a moment of danger, seahorses can significantly speed up their movement, flapping their fins up to 35 times per second (some scientists even call the number 70). Masterfully they succeed and vertical maneuvers. By changing the volume of the swim bladder, these fish move up and down in a spiral. However, seahorses are not capable of swimming fast - they are considered the record holders for the slowest swimming among known fish. Most of the time, the seahorse hangs motionless in the water, catching its tail on algae, coral, or even the neck of a relative.
Skates can ride "on horseback" on fish. Due to their curved tail, seahorses can travel long distances. They grab the perch's fins and hold on until the fish swims into the algae. And the skates grab their pair with their tail and swim in an embrace.
The eyes of seahorses are large, the vision is quite sharp. Their tail is crocheted to the stomach, and their heads are decorated with horns of various shapes.
The eyes of skates move independently from one another. The organ of vision in a seahorse is similar to the eyes of a chameleon. One eye of these fish can look forward, and the other can see what is happening behind.
Seahorses have the ability to change the color of their body, which allows them to skillfully disguise themselves in thickets and among the bottom landscape. A lurking seahorse is almost impossible to see in ambush unless you look very closely. The ability to disguise is necessary for seahorses both for protection and for successful hunting, because they are active predators.
In the seas washing the shores of Russia, seahorses are represented by only two or three species - the Black Sea seahorse: found in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the Japanese seahorse living in the Sea of Japan. Occasionally in the Black Sea you can meet a long-snouted seahorse, common in the seas of the Mediterranean basin. For permanent residence, seahorses choose quieter places; they do not like rough currents and noisy tidal waves.
Seahorses are monogamous fish, they live in married couples, but can periodically change partners. Characteristically, these fish bear eggs, with males and females changing roles. During the mating season, a tubular ovipositor grows in females, and in the male, thickened folds in the tail area form a bag. Before spawning, partners perform a long mating dance.
The female lays the eggs in the male's pouch and he incubates them for about 2 weeks. Newborn fry exit the pouch through a narrow opening. Sea dragons do not have a bag and carry eggs on the tail stalk. The fertility of different species ranges from 5 to 1500 fry. Newborn fish are completely independent and move away from the parent pair.
Among the seahorses there are also very small representatives, a couple of centimeters in size, there are also, a kind of giants up to 30 centimeters long. The smallest species, the pygmy seahorse, is found in the Gulf of Mexico. Its length does not exceed four centimeters. In the Black and Mediterranean Seas, you can find a long-snouted or spotted seahorse, the length of which reaches 12-18 centimeters. The most famous representatives of the species Hippocampus kuda, which lives off the coast of Indonesia. Seahorses of this species, their length is about 14 centimeters, are painted brightly and variegatedly, some are speckled, others are striped. The largest seahorses are found near Australia.
The life expectancy of seahorses is, on average, 3-4 years. The extreme survivability of these fish is known - being taken out of the water, they can live for several hours and return to normal life if they are released into their native element.
Seahorses have few natural enemies - its body is extremely bony and covered with bone formations. Therefore, it is hunted only by a large land crab, which is able to digest such indigestible prey. Seahorses are not dangerous to humans. This is a peaceful harmless fish, besides it is very small.
Man himself is a great danger to seahorses. Today, seahorses are on the verge of extinction - their population is rapidly declining. 30 species of seahorses out of 32 known to science are listed in the Red Book. There are many reasons for this, and one of them is the massive capture of skates off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines. The exotic appearance of the fish doomed them to people using them as souvenirs and gifts.
A separate point in the decline in the number of seahorse populations is the fact that the taste of these fish is extremely appreciated by gourmets. Liver and caviar of seahorses are considered a delicacy, although they have some laxative properties. A seahorse dish costs up to $800 per serving in some restaurants.
A huge number of seahorses (according to some estimates - up to 80 million horses a year) are used in the countries of the Pacific region of Asia and in Australia for the production of medicines and potions. These medicines are used as pain relievers for coughs and asthma, and also as a remedy for impotence. In recent years, this Far Eastern "Viagra" has become popular in Europe. People have known about the healing properties of seahorse meat since ancient times. Seahorses have been used to prepare various medicines and potions in many countries.
Keeping seahorses in aquariums is not very easy, they are demanding on food and prone to disease, but it is very interesting to watch them.
Seahorses can sing. During the period of mating games, they perform peculiar dances around their partners and partners and accompany themselves with clicking sounds, the pace of which can change.
Based on anatomical, molecular and genetic studies, the seahorse has been identified as a highly modified pipefish. Fossilized remains of seahorses are quite rare. The most studied fossils of the species Hippocampus guttulatus (synonym - H. ramulosus) from the formations of the Marecchia River (Italian province of Rimini). These findings are dated to the Lower Pliocene (about 3 million years ago). Two Middle Miocene needle-like species, Hippocampus sarmaticus and Hippocampus slovenicus, found in Slovenia, are believed to be the earliest fossils of seahorses. Their age is estimated at 13 million years. According to the molecular clock method, the species of seahorses and needlefish split in the Late Oligocene. There is a theory that this genus appeared in response to the emergence of large areas of shallow water, which was caused by tectonic events. The appearance of vast shallows led to the spread of algae, and, as a result, the animals living in this environment.
The seahorse is a small marine fish belonging to the needle family. Represented by 54 species. The size of the smallest individuals is about 2 centimeters, and the body length of the largest can reach 30 centimeters. Scientists involved in the study of the origin of this marine inhabitant conducted various anatomical, genetic, molecular studies and, based on the results obtained, came to the conclusion that he is a very modified needle fish.
The seahorse is a truly unique creation of nature. Lives in the natural environment for 4-5 years. Its appearance and habits are absolutely atypical for fish. In shape, the body of this creature is similar to the figure of a chess horse. It has spines and leathery outgrowths. It is protected not by scales, but by a hard bone shell, which only a land crab can bite through. There are fins on the back and chest. Camouflage body color also contributes to protection from enemies.
The eyes are arranged according to the same principle as that of a chameleon. The swim bladder consists of 2 parts separated by a septum. The head is larger than the ventral. The bladder is located along the body and allows the seahorse to swim in an upright position.
Due to the primitive structure of the digestive system (that is, the absence of teeth and stomach), seahorses are forced to eat almost all the time. They feed on small shrimps and crustaceans, which are drawn in with water by a tubular stigma that functions like a pipette.
The habitat of seahorses is tropical and subtropical seas. They give preference to calm clear water, since rocking on the waves is fraught with exhaustion for them. Move slowly. They don't do well in the new place. They are subject to stress and can even die from the loss of a partner, because they belong to monogamous creatures and choose their life partner once and for all.
Interestingly, the choice is made not by the male, but by the female. She invites suitable "cavaliers" with a kind of dance and gives her sympathy to the fastest and hardiest. In the process of mating, the female lays eggs in a special pocket located on the male's tummy, which bears offspring. After the birth of babies, parents do not take care of them at all, so their survival rate is low.
Due to mass capture and other reasons, today the number of seahorses has decreased, and some species are even at risk of complete extinction, which is why they are listed in the Red Book.
Option 2
The seahorse is a representative of the class of ray-finned fish belonging to the needle family. The genus includes 54 species, the sizes of seahorses vary from 2 to 30 cm.
The habitat of the fish is the coastal regions of subtropical and tropical seas and oceans. Seahorses carry out a sedentary lifestyle, attaching their tails to algae stalks; they practically do not move in the water column. Usually their color depends on the color of the plants, they completely merge with the background, which makes the fish invisible to both prey and predators. The main food of seahorses is small plankton. The elongated stigma sucks small marine animals along with water. Due to the structure of the external skeleton - the shell, which covers the entire body of the seahorse with the exception of the tail section, the fish has practically no natural enemies.
The fish owes its unusual body shape to its anatomical structure. The swim bladder is located along the entire body, its head and abdominal parts are separated by a septum. The seahorse swims upright because the cephalic swim bladder is larger than the ventral swim bladder.
Genetic and molecular studies have revealed that the seahorse is a highly modified needlefish. Their species split in the Late Oligocene. To date, almost no fossils of seahorses have been found, so it is impossible to trace how they acquired the appearance familiar to us in the course of evolution.
The male seahorse bears and gives birth to children. The female lays unfertilized eggs in a special cavity - a pocket present in the abdominal region of the male. There, the eggs are fertilized, and after 1-2 months, young fish appear from them. They look like adults.
Recently, the population of the seahorse has begun to decline, which is associated with uncontrolled human activities. In coastal areas, this amazing fish is being massively caught. Due to their exotic unusual shape, seahorses are used as souvenirs and gifts. It already finds 30 species in the Red Book.
Seahorses are saved by their fertility, at one time the fish can reproduce more than 1000 cubs. However, not all of them are destined to become adults.
2, 4, 5, 6 grade
Uglich is one of the oldest Russian cities, which was founded on the banks of the Volga River. The city was formed a long time ago, its roots go back to 937 and it is recognized as older than Moscow by about 200 years.