#sygnathidae

[herpsandbirds]

Common Seadragon or Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus), family Syngnathidae, order Syngnathiformes, found along the southern coast of Australia

Middle photo shows male carrying eggs under his tail.

photographs by Matt Testoni

[sharkanator]

What's my favourite reproductive method? I'm so glad you asked! (no one asked but that doesn't matter)...

Seahorses. They were my favourite animal as a kid and it remains the same as an early adult.

Seahorse courting is the most beautiful thing ever. They breed monogamously, and the courtship lasts for several days. They will entwine their tails around each other like they do with seaweed, and can be observed like this.

I had two seahorse plushies as a kid and used to put them in this position before I went to bed, where their snouts were touching and their tails were twined together.

I didn't really know about sex back then, but I knew the males got pregnant. Which is something I want everyone I know to be aware of (I'm just like that). So I'll explain how it works.

First I should mention they (as well as close relatives and bitterlings) are one of the only non insects that have an ovipositor. Additionally they do not change sex over life like clownfish or kobudai.

The male seahorse has a brooding pouch in his lower abdomen, which swells when he is ready to be filled with eggs.

Female seahorses put their ovipositor through the pregnancy opening on the brood pouch of the male, and shoots 1000< eggs inside.

He fertilises the eggs inside him, and ALSO keeps the eggs in his pouch for the whole gestation period (about 30 days). He has a placenta and all, and a pouch that acts as a womb, he goes through a whole pregnancy period, yet he's male. It's amazing.

What's really interesting is that (from my knowledge) they are the only animal where the male gets pregnant. ONLY THEY DO THIS.

[snototter]

A pughead pipefish (Bulbonaricus brauni) weaves its way through a coral off the coast of Borneo

by Iain Fraser

[nature-and-biodiversity-blog]

Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti

[unofficial-sean]

Bay pipefish

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Honshu Pipefish (Doryrhamphus japonicus)

...a species of "flagtail pipefish" that is is distributed throughout the Western Pacific, ranging from Japan to Indonesia. D. japonicus typically inhabits small caves in rocky reefs, and is sometimes known to share said caves with other fish and crabs. They are also known to associate with sponges and urchins of the genus Diadema. Like most pipefish male Honshu pipefish will carry the eggs in a special brood pouch which is located under its tail. The eggs usually spawn from the end of May to September.

Classification

Animalia-Chordata-Actinopterygii-Sygnathiformes-Sygnathidae-Doryrhamphus-D. japonicus

Images: Izuzuki and Zubi 05

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Satomi's Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae)

...a very small species of seahorse that was discovered recently (2009) at the Derawan islands off of Borneo. H.satomiae currently is the smallest known species of seahorse at only a measly 13.8mm long. Like other small seahorses Satomi's pygmy seahorse usually inhabits corals and will feed on passing food items.

Phylogeny

Animalia-Chordata-Sygnathiformes-Sygnathidae-Hippocampus-H.satomiae

Images: Rudie Kuiter and John Sear