Marine life in Gozo: The Seahorse
The Seahorse is a bizarre creature. This unique marine animal inspires intrigue and will always be high on any divers list of favourite things to see. Although they have a cute image, the Seahorse is one of the most incredible underwater predators on Earth and has developed some of the most effective biological features in the animal world.
The Seahorse is part of the Sygnathidae family, along with various species of Pipefish and Seadragon. There are currently 46 recognised species of Seahorse. Here in Gozo we are able to encounter 2 of those: the Spiny Long Snouted Seahorse (Hippocampus Guttulatus) and the Short Snouted Seahorse (Hippocampus Hippocampus).
Perhaps due to their mostly stationary life and awful swimming skills, the Seahorse is often overlooked as a successful predator. In fact, it is one of the most efficient hunters in the sea with a success rate of over 90%! They are also survival powerhouses, with a mixture of unique and unusual adaptations which result in an almost ‘Frankenstein’s Monster’ creation.
The eyes are Chameleon like, able to move independently of each other. This means that they are able to see in front and behind at the same time, making them completely aware of their surroundings at all times.
They have a Monkey like tail, enabling them to anchor to sea grass, coral, or any other dense environment with security. This is handy when you spend a huge percentage of your life holding on to stay still!
They also have incredibly clever armour which is strong and flexible, making for perfect protection from predators.
It is widely known that one of the unusual things about the Seahorse is that it is the Male which carries the young. It is the only known Vertebrate that the male goes through the whole pregnancy and birth.
As many as 1000 babies can be born into the sea! This high number of offspring is essential when only 0.5% will survive to become a reproducing adult.
Once they do reach adulthood, they are incredible effective with amazing hunting ability and survival skills.
We have already mentioned the horrible swimming skills of the Seahorse. They are one of the slowest fish in the sea, moving clumsily through the water. However, this unusual upright swimming position is in fact advantageous.
Although unorthodox, this is well suited to the dense environments that suit them so well. They are able to move more efficiently through sea grass and coral with the use of their tail. This also makes them more camouflaged in these environments.
As well as blending in, they have indredible armour to protect from outside threats. The armour is different from most marine animals. It is not hard and rigid like that of a Crab or Lobster, but flexible and deformable. The armour consists of many flexible body plates covering the entire body, giving it a much better range of motion that a hard shell, for example.
The tail is also unusual in its design. Instead of a traditional cylindrical tail the flexible plates make a square design. This is much more effective at deforming, meaning that if attacked it is much more likely to stay intact rather than break. The square plates can deform up to 50% without any damage!
This ingenious design is becoming inspiration for scientists in the field of modern robotics, looking for mobility, strength and protection.
They are also incredibly quick when it comes to hunting. They have developed a body shape which shows little movement in the ‘strike zone’, allowing them to creep up stealthily on smaller prey. They then move rapidly, sucking the prey up in a flash with the snout. This combination is what makes them such effective predators.
It is a good job too, as the Seahorse has no stomach. This means they must eat constantly. Without such amazing predatory prowess, this would be a big issue.
All of these adaptations to life underwater makes the Seahorse one of the most unique and special animals on this planet. It only makes you appreciate them more when we encounter them in one of the dive sites around Gozo.
Mgarr ix-Xini, Xatt l-Ahmar and Ras il-Hobz are all sites we can search for the Seahorse. Join us this season to dive and, hopefully, find and appreciate this amazing animal.