A funny and cute fish is a seahorse, very unusual and not very similar to other fish. These representatives of the possessions of the god Neptune have a head shape resembling a horse, their body is enclosed in a strong shell, the tail has the tenacity of a monkey, and for breeding offspring, males have a bag on their abdomen, like a ground kangaroo. Those who are familiar with ancient mythology know that Neptune harnessed precisely these sea creatures in his chariot. True, this is surprising, because the sizes of different types of skates are in the range from thirty to three centimeters in length. But Neptune is free to decide for himself which horses to ride on.
Most Internet users know about them exclusively from a virtual game - "Sea Horse of the Abyss". They are very widely used for the production of drugs in the East. They treat diseases such as atherosclerosis and various skin lesions. Men who fear impotence are very much appreciated, the Golden Horse is a means to combat it.
Connoisseurs of exotic love to keep such a fish as a seahorse in an aquarium. Therefore, in Thailand, the Philippines and other countries, their mass trapping for sale on souvenirs and gifts has been established. To do this, the fish-skates are specially twisted the body by artificial methods, giving everyone their favorite shape $. In fact, there are no fish with this body shape in nature. Food lovers in expensive restaurants value seahorse as the basis for dishes made from the eyes and liver of these small fish. If environmental difficulties are added here, it becomes clear why thirty species of these fish are already listed in the Red Book.
The natural habitat of the needle family of fish, which include the seahorse, are the warm waters of tropical and subtropical seas. Crustaceans and shrimp are their main food. Unlike fish, skates are always upright in the water, which reminds mammals of animals. This effect is achieved due to the fact that their swim bladder is located not in the abdominal cavity, but in the head. Small pectoral fins allow skates to slowly, gracefully, as if in dance, move around a pond.
From enemies, these harmless creatures hide in corals and algae. If they feel the danger, then like monkeys catch their tail on a sprig of algae and hang on it in a motionless state, head down and taking on the color of the environment in which they are located. It is amazing how easily skates change their body color. They can be yellow, blue - any. The carapace protecting the body is bone plates. They are so strong that it is impossible to break them even with a dead seahorse dead in the sun.
It is very interesting to observe how the seahorse reproduces. Mating dances between a female and a male last several days. Hugging with ponytails, they waltz in sea waters. Then the female begins to throw eggs in a bag for the children of her chosen one. The eggs in it go through the stage of fertilization and maturation within a month, and then they are born, delivering the strongest torments to their dad. It happens that the male dies during childbirth.
