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Seahorses are classified in the same family
as pipefishes, sea dragons and pipe horses, the only family
of vertebrates known in which the males - not the females
- become pregnant. And if that isn’t odd enough, almost
all species of seahorses are strictly monogamous, with a
courtship and mating ritual that could be described as tender
or even loving.
A seahorse couple mates repeatedly and exclusively within
and between the reproductive seasons. Throughout their life
together, the pair reinforce their bond with elaborate greeting
dances performed daily soon after dawn. The female swims
to the male and both change color, promenading and pirouetting
for several minutes. They then separate for the rest of
the day. When her eggs have developed, the female lays them
at the entry of special brood pouches found on the male’s
belly.
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