How Seahorses Swim Most Naturally
When it comes to being a natural swimmer, seahorses are right at the top of the ocean life pack. While their protective shell makes them heavy, they can still glide through the water and appear doing so with no effort at all.
In fact, sea horses have no tail fin to help them swim like many fish do. But what many people don’t realize is that there is still a fin on these fish. The dorsal fin on their back can beat up to 30 times each second and that helps them to propel through the water. This fin tends to be transparent and thanks to the speed, the human eye can’t pick up on the movement.
But as mentioned, seahorses are a natural swimmer and have mastered the art of moving their body. When you watch them move through the water, you will note that they can easily control the manner that they move in with the use of a pectoral fin that are located near the neck that guides them left and right. In addition to this, they build up gasses in their body to help them rise and fall as needed. This means their entire body is working to guide them.
While how they swim is certainly interesting, a look at their body will most likely draw some interest as well. The fact is that they have a total of three pairs of lateral ridges, with one that covers the stomach area. This gives them the protection they need to standup to most of their predators with ease.
Also interesting is the manner that this species of fish eats. They have a long mouth that contains no teeth in it. This means that need to consume their food whole. This food that they consume enters their body and then quickly passes through their system. Because of the speed that this happens in, the seahorse must continuously eat in order to stay alive. They are a carnivore, so the food that this fish consumes is living. Typically, each seahorse will consume about 3,000 brine shrimp on a daily basis.
In the wild, as you watch the sea-horses prove that they are a natural swimmer in groups, you will want to note that their appearance does resemble galloping in the water. This is part of where they get their name from and interestingly enough, a group of this aquatic species together is known as a herd.
But what captures most people’s interest is how they handle their mating rituals. Sea horses are monogamous with their partner and will remain loyal to their mate for a lifetime. When they have children, the male will give birth to the children, which makes it the only species known on earth to do this. This is done by the female depositing to her eggs into the male’s pouch and having him internally fertilize them.
If you are interested in seeing these animals in their natural habitat you will need to seek out shallow tropical open waters and near coral reefs. It will be here that you will have a chance to see and watch these natural swimmers thrive in their natural habitat.
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