Spiny Seahorse (Hippocampus Guttulatus)
Hello my darlings! Let me tell you something about love and relationships. People ask 'what is love?' Well seahorses have the answer; we are ultra romantic. Every morning we start the day with a dance. We change into different colours to keep the romance alive. The dance lasts ten minutes, then we separate for the rest of the day so as not to risk getting on each others nerves. Now we know the formula works because we remain partners for life.
But here is something - you know what is really great about being a female seahorse, (apart from having a colourful dance each morning). Are you sitting down? This is news! The girls don't have the babies! Ha, ha yes - the males have them, not one or two, but about 1,000 a year. Go and tell your friends that fact! However even though that sounds like masses of babies, and that there should be absolutely masses of us around, it's not the case at all we are endangered.
We're under threat from so many things from climate change, marine pollution and the fact that we like to hang out in the same place, so when fishermen find us we are an easy catch. We are too pretty for our own good as we look fabulous in aquariums. We're also caught in large numbers for use in herbal medicines.
What can you do? Don't buy dried seahorses or starfish, shells or other marine creatures offered for sale when you visit the seaside. Also don't buy any of my unfortunate relations who have been caught from the wild as pets - they won't survive without specialist care.
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