| Seahorses: Did you know? | - Seahorses are true fish, like Goldfish. They breathe through their gills.
- Seahorses do not have a tail fin like other fish. They use their tail for hanging on to eelgrass and seaweeds.
- Seahorses do not wriggle when they swim, but swim upright, and propel themselves by using the dorsal fin on their back.
- Male Seahorses carry the fertilised eggs, put there by the female and are nurtured until they hatch.
- Seahorses can grow spiky appendages to their body. This makes them look like seaweed and prevents them being discovered and eaten by bigger fish.
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Captive tropical seahorses have been fitted with tiny necklaces to find out whether they are faithful to one partner. The reputed fidelity of seahorse couples is being put to the test in a research project at more than a dozen Sea Life attractions in the UK and Germany. "We've got different coloured tags. We've got two yellow and two blue ones and we're asking the general public to see if they stay together," said Terri Harris of the Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre. "It's looking like perhaps they don't and it's the females that are doing the straying. It's the males that are staying faithful," she added. Horsing around Marine experts at the National Seahorse Breeding And Conservation Unit have long had their doubts about the famed faithfulness of seahorse partners. "We carried out a small-scale investigation about seven years ago after our own casual observations suggested some female seahorses were actually a bit promiscuous," said marine biologist Robin James. The research, which runs until mid-September, involves all the seahorses in a selected display tank being fitted with tiny necklaces, each bearing a different coloured tag. The Sea Life venues across the UK then enlist the aid of visitors by getting them to record the date, time, duration and the nature of any courtship behaviour - noting which of the seahorses are involved. Signs of amorous intent include colour-changing, twining tails and leaning towards each other quivering. "They don't live together, they live apart," said Terry Harris.
 | | Faithful or promiscuous behaviour? |
"The male goes to visit the female every day and does a dance. When he wants to become pregnant, he lets her know by releasing a hormone. "Seahorses are fascinating. Children are intrigued and we want them to help us. We want to know the truth," she added. Willing volunteers Sea Life Centre visitors are delighted to be helping out with the research. "Besides the fact that it is the males that give birth, the alleged fidelity of seahorses is probably the thing most people know about them," said senior marine biologist Stefan Inselmann. "When they hear that this might not be true after all, their curiosity is immediately aroused and they seem happy to watch for quite long periods to see if there's any hanky-panky going on," he added. Visitors to the Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre can take part in the research project until Sunday, 17 September, 2006. | 
