Sea horse ... What is interesting about this representative of the kingdom of Neptune?

Funny and cute fish - sea horse, very unusual and little like other fish. These representatives of the possessions of the god Neptune have the shape of a head resembling a horse's head, their body is encased in a solid shell, the tail possesses the monkey's tenacity, and for the rearing of the offspring, males have a bag on the abdomen, like a ground kangaroo. Those who are familiar with ancient mythology know that Neptune harnessed these sea creatures to 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 what kind of horses he should move.

Most Internet users know about them exclusively from the virtual game - "The Seahorse of the Abyss". They are widely used for the production of drugs in the East. They treat such diseases as atherosclerosis and various skin lesions. Very appreciate men who fear impotence, a means to combat it - "Golden Horse".

Connoisseurs of exotic love to keep such a fish, like a sea horse, in an aquarium. Therefore, in Thailand, the Philippines and other countries, their mass catch for sale for souvenirs and gifts. For this, the fish-skates are specially turned out by artificial methods body, giving everyone a favorite form of $. In fact, there is no fish with such a form of body in nature. Gourmets who eat in expensive restaurants appreciate the sea horse as the basis for dishes made from the eyes and liver of these small fish. If we add ecological difficulties here, it becomes clear why thirty species of these fish are already listed in the Red Book.

The zone of the natural habitat of the fish of the needle family, to which the sea horse belongs, are the warm waters of the tropical and subtropical seas. Crayfish and shrimp are their main food. Unlike fish, skates are always in an upright position in the water, which resembles mammals. This effect is achieved due to the fact that their swim bladder is not in the abdominal cavity, but in the head. Small pectoral fins give skates a leisurely pace, at a slow pace, gracefully, as if in a dance, to move on a pond.

From enemies these harmless creatures hide in corals and seaweed. If they feel danger, then like monkeys, they catch a tail by the twig of algae and hang on it in a motionless state, lowering their head down and taking the color of the environment in which they are. It's amazing how easily skates change the color of the body. They can be yellow, blue - any. The shell protecting the body is the bone plates. They are so strong that it is impossible to break them even in the sun-dried corpse of a seahorse.

It is very interesting to observe how the seahorse reproduces. Marriage dances between the female and the male last for several days. Embracing with tails, they waltz in the sea waters. Then the female begins to throw eggs in a bag for the children of her chosen one. Eggs in it pass the stage of fertilization and maturation within a month, and then are born, delivering to their dad the strongest torment. It happens that the male dies during childbirth.