Seahorses

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Seahorses are a somewhat well-known animal in American thought, though not super-popular in media. They are infamous for their weird looks and for the ability of the father to nurture the eggs in his pouch. Scientifically they are defined as animals contained within the genus Hippocampus and some others from the subfamily Hippocampinae (see Science).
==Name ==
Something interesting to note is that many modern languages call the seahorse something quite similar to seahorse. They may contain a word like sea or an equivalent thereof, and a horse or related animal, such as a foal or zebra. In some cases like in Belarusian the name was derived from Russian and was remade or mistranslated into a whole word that has a made up sound at the start and ice skates at the end. https://en.glosbe.com/be/en/%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%91%D0%BAhttps://en.glosbe.com/en/be/horsehttps://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96%D1%8F&op=translatehttps://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%96%D0%BA%D1%96&op=translatehttps://be.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%96%D0%BA%D1%96&oldid=4096427. In other cases it becomes a different animal, such as in Maori where it's translated as "sea rat" https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=kiore or in Greek's Thessaly accent they call it a seamouse, or Swahili's "sea goat"https://glosbe.com/sw/en/mbuzihttps://glosbe.com/sw/en/baharihttps://el.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%CE%99%CF%80%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%82_(%CF%88%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B9)&oldid=9150052. Sometimes the sea is replaced with their word for fish, turning seahorse into "horse fish". In Latin it still references a horse, but it is called something like "bipedal horse, two-footed horse, standing horse, upright horse"https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=bipes&oldid=60185105. The only languages wiktionary references as not being related to seahorse would be Burmese ("water dragon")https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=%E1%80%9B%E1%80%B1%E1%80%94%E1%80%82%E1%80%AB%E1%80%B8&oldid=60276692, Cebuano (which gives the same word as to probe https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kulkog#Cebuano, Ilkanohttps://toidp.com/search/https://toidp.com/search/ (unknown literal translation), and Japanese ("Dragon's bastard")https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AB%9C%E3%81%AE%E8%90%BD%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E5%AD%90&oldid=46754429. These languages are related, with Burmese and Japanese both being Asian languages with Buddhist ties and Cebuano and Ilkano both being native languages of the Philippines. This makes the seahorse's name an extremely diverse calque. Many languages have adopted the term and the comparison between it and horses, adopting the name in favor of its previous terms, now extinct in most modern languages. 
In ancient times the Greeks had a word, hippókampos (ἱππόκαμπος), which means "horse seamonster". https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=sea_horse&oldid=65221331https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seahorse&oldid=1086374916 https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=i(ppo/kampos However, there's a confusion amongst sources over whether this exclusively refers to the merhorse or equally too the seahorse during the time of the Ancient Greeks. This confusion is not addressed. Modern sources tend to address them as if they were the same creature. The implication seems to be that the Greek artists and writers didn't know the difference and therefore falsely portrayed the seahorses as merhorses, but any fisher would have been able to know the differences.
In 9 AD a series of books were published, altogether called Geographica. It was written by a Greek-Roman named Strabo. In it he mentions the hippocampus being held in the bronze hand of a statue of Poseidon. He mentions it being perilous to those with fishing nets, though not why it is. Wikipedia suggests that it's only the submerged statue that's perilous to fishing nets. Perhaps the net catches on the hippocampus part of the statue in particularhttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hippocampus_(mythology)&oldid=1089407286.With its small size it could be referring to a seahorse, but it could also be a tiny merhorse held by the statue.https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:abo:tlg,0099,001:8:7:2&lang=original In another, Imagines by Philostratus, written sometime between 180 AD-244 AD, the hippocampus is described as a seamonster that has webbed fins instead of hooves, blue eyes, is a good swimmer, and is most comparable to a dolphinhttps://www.loebclassics.com/view/philostratus_elder-imagines_book_i_8_amymone/1931/pb_LCL256.33.xml. Published sometime in his lifetime was a work by the similarly aged Claudius Aelianus. In his Characteristics of Animals he has a section for the seahorse. It is not given a physical description. However he goes at length to describe how the seahorse stomach is highly toxic, however it was also a remedy for rabies with topical application towards the woundhttps://topostext.org/work/560 (disclaimer: don't actually try that). I think it's interesting he mentioned the stomach, as seahorses have peculiar stomachs. Not the male's pouch, but the actual stomach, the organ for digesting food. 
My references suggest that in the Chinese languages they were called "seahorse" starting from the Tang dynasty (circa 600AD-900AD) forwardshttps://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B5%B7%E9%A6%AC. However, the sources seem to indicate that it's a quote from Li Shizhen from the Ming dynasty (1500s) who read a book from the Tang dynasty, a book which has now been lost. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%AC%E8%8D%89%E6%8B%BE%E9%81%BAhttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Compendium_of_Materia_Medica&oldid=1059239264 His books are based on those books from the Tang dynasty as well as some others. If the Chinese did use the name since the Tang dynasty, it may have been independently developed in China or it may have been transferred over from trade with other peoples, possibly Byzantium Greeks https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-china/tang-dynasty or Turks. From here the term "sea-horse" has spread throughout the world.
Personally I'm pretty surprised that they haven't been named seachameleons. They suck in their prey as rapidly as a chameleon shoots out its tongue, they change color, and they move their eyes in different directions (though that last part is a common fish trait...)! This is really a missed opportunity here. Apparently, I'm not the only one who figured it out as there have been a couple more mentions of it since I wrote this, though I forgot the sources. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Poseidon_s_Steed/4Wifibfq2rMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PT10&printsec=frontcoverhttps://www.google.com/books/edition/Seahorses/zMlDDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA7&printsec=frontcoverhttps://www.shalomadventure.com/god-s-world/genesis-beginnings-creation-nature-etc/2753-seahorse
== Representation in art==
In modern times they are seen as a strange, cute, mystical sort of sea animal. Thus they get featured in a lot of water-themed art. They're almost a symbol of the beauty and neatness of ocean wildlife. They are featured in a wide variety of still works from regular artwork, furniture, even in logos. In 2-D art they are almost always portrayed at a side view. 
Furniture-wise they are typically bathroom decor or fountains (the former mostly private, the latter for both public and private properties)https://youtube.com/shorts/sSTveZ_yUao?feature=sharehttps://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seepferdchenbrunnen&oldid=224685564https://youtube.com/shorts/pP1MERNkxOs?feature=sharehttps://youtube.com/shorts/osrIJ4iy-mc?feature=share. They are found in the logos for swimming pools, water parks, and aquariums. Whether as a statue in the shape of a seahorse or depicted 2-dimensionally, they are relatively common in sea-art for the household. Moreso than I had originally thought.
They are popular to depict in photographs by divers.
They are a part of the modern coat-of-arms of several placeshttps://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seepferd_(Wappentier)&oldid=221624056, including: Goro, Italyhttps://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goro&oldid=216403587https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goro&oldid=129429678; Hiddensee Islandhttps://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Insel_Hiddensee&oldid=226987056, Timmendorfer Strandhttps://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timmendorfer_Strand&oldid=224476032, and Zinnowitzhttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zinnowitz&oldid=1117550176 of Germany; Mayottehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mayotte&oldid=1116627827, Merville-Franceville-Plage,https://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merville-Franceville-Plage&oldid=197353662 and Valras-Plagehttps://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valras-Plage&oldid=197868859 of France. The Italian wiki mentioned Goro as being a historical example of the continuous struggle of humans against water, which makes adding the seahorse as its coat-of-arms fitting to this author, as seahorses can be viewed as struggling against water due to their poor swimmability. 
In Germany children must pass a swim test that by slang is called the "Seepferchen" (literally, seahorseyhttps://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Seepferdchen&oldid=67761607) due to its badge. This allows them to swim in the deep end in public poolshttps://www.dw.com/en/11-things-to-know-before-going-to-a-swimming-pool-in-germany/g-48166749https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bundesverband_zur_F%C3%B6rderung_der_Schwimmausbildung&oldid=206529774.
== Media ==
Seahorses are often portrayed in kid's animals facts for the fact that the males can give birth. Therefore TV shows dedicated to teaching children about animals will sometimes include a bit or a whole episode about this factshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4j3Ljp8W-s&t=595s. Books filled with animal trivia sometimes include it as well, especially those focused on marine wildlife. 
When the breeding facts aren't mentioned, the choice to include them in shows is often based on either their unique, magical looks; or because they are associated with horses. Oceanic documentaries may show them to keep with their sea theme and highlight yet another popular ocean animal; while cartoons may feature them temporarily as minor characters, background characters and especially underwater steeds. When they are characterized as horses they are often resized as much larger to accommodate the size of the character riding them (usually the main character). They also wear a bridle and saddle; and neigh. They are portrayed as an animal species rather than a sentient one. 
Due to these portrayals, they are rarely the main character. Keeping them out of the spotlight every day may help keep their unique image. Instead they stay side-characters, or episode special characters, or as horses. Some famous examples of seahorses as characters are found in The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, and Pokémonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqrcc2h16lAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRjp9XDAXGUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pRXmH4QB1ghttps://www.google.com/books/edition/Poseidon_s_Steed/4Wifibfq2rMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PT136&printsec=frontcoverhttps://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeahorseSteed. Pokemon may be one of the few shows with more spotlight on seahorses, as the character Horsea was a somewhat important companion for Misty, a main character. Though not seen in every episode, in many of the episodes where Horsea is shown she saves the day or is given special attention to from Misty and from the way the scene is depicted. Often her special ink ability is used in a constructive, intelligent way. However, this is an octopus attribute that was merged with the imaginative creature's design. In a way it is like how I mentioned, that when seahorses are shown as characters they are given a little bit of a spotlight to them for a moment. 
There are also a few movies referencing seahorses in their titles. I have yet to watch them, however. They seem to involve the hippocampus part of the brain and transmen getting pregnant. 
Seahorses, like many other animals, aren't considered socially to be represented well in music. However I have found that there's more songs than expected that reference them in the title. There are several artists with seahorse in their name.https://open.spotify.com/search/seahorsehttps://soundcloud.com/search?q=seahorse I can safely say that seahorses are a common theme or word for album pictures and titles. Additionally, if an album or (especially) the artist's name is sea-themed, there's a more likely chance of the album/song title (respectively) involving seahorses. If an artist has added seahorse to your lyrics once, you will probably find yourself doing it again. Thus, artists that use ocean as a part of their gimmick are more likely to use seahorses, and artists that happenstance mention seahorses once in their lyrics will be inclined to use them again in the future.
So there's a bit more representation of this animal in English music, though it's not noticed in English-speaking cultures. Additionally, the music is...much darker than I expected for the animal. Despite it's harsh boney, weird outside, they're usually portrayed as quite cute and gentle, even magical. I didn't expect this many minor key and rock songs. It turns out that the band The Seahorses made a mid-1990s hit called "Love Is The Law" that was often on the radio in the UK and The United States. Apparently there had been a giant statue of a seahorse in a pub, and they took it as a sign to name themselves after ithttps://www.google.com/books/edition/Poseidon_s_Steed/4Wifibfq2rMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PT137&printsec=frontcover.
Listen, I have been working for 6 HOURS putting seahorse music in my spotify playlist. I'm not even going to READ all of that because I want to say what I want to say. I'm not editing it now! VERY COMMON. There are also a lot of songs just titled "seahorse". Do you know how many replicates I had to sort through because I couldn't remember them all? Also,
So, check out my sweet spotify playlist here.
According to the Greek Wiki, the seahorse is a common name for nightclubs, bars, and other night/adult businesses due to the male's reproduction capabilities. https://el.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%CE%99%CF%80%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%82_(%CF%88%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B9)&oldid=9150052 
===Religion===
Ancient Hellenism: One of the issues I've had with briefly studying seahorse is mythology and its role in ancient cultures is the merging of concept and confusing two types of animals into one: the seahorse, and the sea-horsehttps://aquarium.ucsd.edu/blog/seahorses-in-myth-legend-art/https://www.icysedgwick.com/seahorses-folklore/#:~:text=In%20Native%20American%20folklore%2C%20they%20represent%20grace%20and,about%20the%20Yupit%20people%20of%20Siberia%20and%20seahorses.. The horse with an aquatic tailfin versus the actual animal. A merhorse versus a creature who's said to look like a horse due to its elongated snout, but doesn't actually look like one. I keep running into examples of merhorse and "sea-horse" mythology being combined. While it's possible that the animals had the same name as a result of non-specialist ignorance of the animal- that is, they hear that seahorses look like horses and thus they make them merhorses, I can't tell if this is what happened. It could have been the opposite, that one was named after the other. This would mean that our animal was named after not a horse, but, well, a sea-horse. In where the animal is the water elemental version of a horse, it's still a problem that I have in trying to study it. When the Greeks associated the seahorse with Poseidon? Did they only associate the mermaid horse with him or is it both? Did Greeks actually call the seahorse we know today the 'hippókampos, or is that a modern day attribution? How many hundreds of years did it take until both were named the same thing?
New Ageism: As with many totem/spirit guide websites, the animal's message differs from article to article. However there seems to be a common connection where the seahorse's struggle to move through rough currents is interpreted as needing to shift and refocus and (perhaps slowly) pursue one's goals. https://www.spirit-animals.com/seahorse-symbolism/https://www.sunsigns.org/seahorse-animal-totem-symbolism-meanings/https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/spirit-totem-power-animal-meanings/fish/seahorse-symbolism-meaning/
Christianity: There's not much, but there are some Creationist websites that use seahorses as an example of God's amazing work and as proof of creationism. The gender role reversal in which the male is impregnated is also acknowledged as a part of the strange and wonderous decisions of God. https://answersingenesis.org/aquatic-animals/the-amazing-seahorse/https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/julyweb-only/7-9-33.0.html
==Uses==
As mentioned earlier, some seahorse species are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This has been done since before the Tang dynasty book was published (as the author would have needed to experiment on its usage before adding it in, if he hadn't learned it from someone else). Sources say it is yang and used in sweet, salty, and warm medications. It is used as an ingredient for medications for a variety of needs. Illnesses like asthma, cardiac issues, and sexual issues are some of the more common medications seahorses are used inhttps://adidarwinian.com/seahorses-in-traditional-chinese-medicine/#:~:text=Seahorses%20in%20Traditional%20Chinese%20Medicine%20%28TCM%29%20are%20also,promotes%20labor%2C%20their%20use%20is%20contraindicated%20during%20pregnancy.. They are usually added into the medication with other herbs and animals, rather than just as a standalone.
Dried seahorses are sold in many countries in Asia. About 20 million seahorses (of multiple species) are fished every yearhttps://justoneocean.org/dried-seahorses-chinese-traditional-medicine. While many Western and conservationist sources are dedicated to pushing the taboo of seahorses used in medication and will deny any medicinal usage of it, one study has successfully found a proven effect on arthritis from H. kudahttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22360853/. The German World Wildlife Fund in 2017 (emphasis sources) blames (correctly or incorrectly) Asian countries for the 30% decline of both (or as a whole?) European species of seahorse, https://www.wwf.ch/de/medien/gewinner-und-verlierer-im-jahr-2017 which would be H.guttulatus and H. hippocampus. However, Project Seahorse notes a study over 7 years of populations from "unexploited sources". https://projectseahorse.org/resource/revisiting-two-sympatric-european-seahorse-species-apparent-decline-in-the-absence-of-exploitation/ It is not known to me but I suspect that this is the same study.
Due to trouble with breeding them in captivity, seahorses are still harvested in the wild, both for medicinal and the pet trade. However, it seems to me that China and other Asian countries have even more trouble breeding them in captivity (or perhaps its the demand) as seahorses bred in captivity can be obtained. Of the approximately 150 recognized nations that seahorses live off of, 69 of them allow for the capture of seahorses for China's medicinal trade. While many are captured and killed for it, it is regulated. Seahorses must be of a certain size and thus age before they can be worked into a medicine. People who obtain seahorses for the purpose of selling them must obtain a permit. If it's processed into a sold medication (such as in a pill bottle), it must be approved by their national drug approval board (an American equivalent would be the FDA). There is some mention of part of the seahorse trade being banned, but I don't know the details of it. Where? How?https://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%B5%B7%E9%A6%AC&oldid=69570864
==Captivity ==
Seahorses are an exotic aquarium fish. H. barbouri, bargibanti, comes, erectus, kuda, ingens, spinosissimushttps://www.liveaquaria.com/category/40/https://www.fishbase.se/summary/59703 and zosterae are all kept as pets.https://www.thesprucepets.com/seahorse-species-profiles-2925484 While some are brought from the wild into the pet trade, many are bred in captivity. Some even have different color forms, despite the fact that they change color, like calicohttps://mysaltwaterfishstore.com/collections/seahorse. This suggests the beginning of domestication. Indeed, at least one company gives the varieties it sells special breed names, like Mustang and Sunburst.https://seahorse.com/product-category/seahorses/ They are very delicate and can easily die in an aquariumhttps://www.petmd.com/fish/care/guide-keeping-healthy-pet-seahorseshttps://animalcorner.org/pet-seahorses/. They need a slow current and the right objects to hold onto. Some types of coral sold for aquariums burn them, so it's important to give them the proper seaweed or alternative holds, or to give them the coral they would naturally hang onto in the wild (by species). They are typically given frozen small and baby crustaceans to consume, often through hand-feeding directly or through use of a tool such as a turkey baster.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4AhUGgbDP4 This is because the food has to float close to their face so that they can vacuum it, as they are poor swimmers and struggle to chase after the food fast enough. In the wild they catch what passes by them while they hang onto their object, as they do in an aquarium. Due to their unusual stomachs and delicate bodies they need to be fed frequently, multiple times a day. When out on vacation will need a human-sitter to watch over them. Despite their lack of exploration habits, need large tanks filled with many objects so that they can hang on them and feel like they are in their normal cluttered environment.
==Science==
The animals defined as "seahorses" have distinguishing characteristics from other Sygnathiformes. They usually have a strange, hard, spiky upright form and a curled tail. There are other animals in Sygnathiforme that reference seahorses, such as the pipehorses and seamoths, which belong to the Pegasidae (Pegasus) family. One pipehorse has as a common name ending in seahorse, the bastard seahorsehttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hippocampinae&oldid=1083405918. There may be other close relatives that end in seahorse. There are other animal's still that reference it's Japanese name, seadragonshttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pipefish&oldid=1085816969 (and the bastard seahorse as well). 
Seahorses themselves evolved approximately 30 million years ago from pipefishes. The earliest known fossils were found to have been from 13 million years ago. Hippocampus guttulatus is a surviving fossil, having existed for at least 3 million years. This does mean that there were no seahorses during the dinosaur era. There are a few known extinct seahorses, but not many. There are many species of seahorses that live today, though most are too understudied enough to know their threat risk (though with many being based in coral reefs, we can assume they're threatened with extinction). 
Despite seahorses being apparently well-loved, available information for species identification is poor. Often I'll be browsing a website and see a collection of species all being identified as one species. Due to the sheer vast amount of information, I can't actually tell different seahorses apart. Even websites that should be trust worthy seem to have images of massively uniquely different individuals all counted as one species.https://seahorsesavvy.com/collections/seahorses?page=1https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/6b53ca61-282b-4ec7-9028-10c384ff0a47https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10075/16664386https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10088/46721312
Here is a list of the known surviving species of Hippocampus as of May 2020:
*Hippocampus abdominalis 
*Hippocampus algiricus 
*Hippocampus angustus 
*Hippocampus barbouri 
*Hippocampus bargibanti 
*Hippocampus breviceps 
*Hippocampus camelopardalis
*Hippocampus capensis
*Hippocampus casscsio
*Hippocampus colemani
*Hippocampus comes
*Hippocampus coronatus
*Hippocampus debelius 
* Hippocampus denise 
* Hippocampus erectus 
* Hippocampus fisheri Jordan & Evermann, 1903 (Fisher's seahorse)
* Hippocampus guttulatus
* Hippocampus haema Han, Kim, Kai & Senou, 2017 (Korean seahorse)
* Hippocampus hippocampus
*Hippocampus histrix Kaup, 1856 (spiny seahorse)
*Hippocampus ingens
*Hippocampus japapigu Short, R. Smith, Motomura, Harasti & H. Hamilton, 2018 (Japanese pygmy seahorse)
*Hippocampus jayakari Boulenger, 1900 (Jayakar's seahorse)
*Hippocampus jugumus Kuiter, 2001 (collared seahorse)
*Hippocampus kelloggi Jordan & Snyder, 1901 (great seahorse)
*Hippocampus kuda
*Hippocampus minotaur Gomon, 1997 (bullneck seahorse)
*Hippocampus mohnikei
*Hippocampus nalu Short, Claassens, R. Smith, De Brauwer, H. Hamilton, Stat & Harasti, 2020 (South African pygmy seahorse or Sodwana pygmy seahorse)
*Hippocampus paradoxus Foster & Gomon, 2010 (paradoxical seahorse)
*Hippocampus patagonicus Piacentino & Luzzatto, 2004 (Patagonian seahorse)
*Hippocampus planifrons Peters, 1877 (flatface seahorse, false-eye seahorse)
*Hippocampus pontohi
*Hippocampus pusillus Fricke, 2004 (pygmy thorny seahorse)
*Hippocampus reidi
*Hippocampus satomiae Lourie & Kuiter, 2008 (Satomi's pygmy seahorse)
*Hippocampus sindonis Jordan & Snyder, 1901 (Sindo's seahorse)
*Hippocampus spinosissimus Weber, 1913 (hedgehog seahorse)
*Hippocampus subelongatus
*Hippocampus trimaculatus
*Hippocampus tyro Randall & Lourie, 2009 (Tyro seahorse)
*Hippocampus waleananus Gomon & Kuiter, 2009 (Walea soft coral pygmy seahorse)
*Hippocampus whitei
*Hippocampus zebra 
*Hippocampus zosterae Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 (dwarf seahorse)
Seahorses consist of numerous species with varying characteristics. It's best to look on each individual page, especially outside of the wiki if you're looking for biological information. However, we can talk about what seahorses generally they tend to do, even if it doesn't apply to all species. They tend to live in slow-currented coral reefs and seagrass beds, but may also live in other areas with things to cling on such as sponge beds and even fish nets. Some live all their lives on their home that they hang on, while others move around from spot to spot. They can move around their object as their bodies are never permanently fixed to it. They merely cling to it using their prehensile tail. So if they live on one coral fan, they can move around the fan, even if the species generally chooses to never leave it. As a result of not living in the open ocean due to lack of things for their tails to cling on, they hang out in seas near coasts and beds instead. I would say shallower waters, but most seahorses stick don't go below 60 ft, which while being the extent of their depth, isn't exactly shallow. Since they stay away from the open-ocean, on maps they seem to range between the coasts of countries and islands, and occasionally in seemingly open spots (where hidden beds of coral or other clingable object lie). Due to their anatomy they cannot swim fast, and it is not clear to me how they disperse. Because of their inability to swim fast they are delicate and don't usually live in waters with a fast current. 
Seahorses feed by vacuuming in prey into their tubular mouths. They have a unique sort of stomach where food doesn't stick around too long to be digested, and really just passes through.
They have the ability to change colour for mood and for camoufloge. They also have eyes that can move independently of each other. This is similar to chameleons.
== Scientific History ==
According to one book, seahorses used to be considered "marine insects".
== References ==
Category:Seahorses
Category:Animals important to American children
Category:Marine animals