Can male seahorses really become pregnant

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A.� Yes, but not in the same way as female mammals do. The female uses something called an ovipositor, an everted egg duct, to insert ripe eggs into the male's brood pouch, where they are fertilized. The eggs embed in the wall of the specialised fully enclosed pouch, and then tissue envelops them. So, it's still the females that produce the eggs and the male that produces the sperm.

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Q.� How long does a seahorse pregnancy last

A.��Between ten days to six weeks, depending on species and water temperature. Once the male gives birth, he usually becomes pregnant again right away.

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Q.� What happens when the male gives birth

A.� Labour lasts many hours and the male flexes its body and pumps out the young seahorses.

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Q.� What do baby seahorses look like

A.� The young are miniature replicas of their parents, 7-11mm long, and are able to fend for themselves as soon as they're born.

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Q.� Do seahorse mate with the same partner

A.� Most species of seahorse form monogamous pairs. The pair bond is reinforced by the elaborate greeting dances that seahorse perform, during which they both change colour. This dance takes place first thing in the morning and lasts up to ten minutes, and the pair go their separate ways until the next morning. The dancing continues throughout the male's pregnancy.

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On the morning after the male has given birth an elaborate courtship takes place, which can last up to nine hours, and then the pair mate again.

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Q.� Are male seahorses unique in the part they play in reproduction

A.� Although amongst mammals, females provide primary parental care, among some other animal groups males play a much more active part. Male birds, amphibians and fish all play a big part in caring for the young. But, yes, male seahorses are unique in the amount of input they have in rearing their young.

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Q.� Where do seahorses live

A.� Among sea grasses, mangroves and corals, mainly in the West Atlantic or the Indo-Pacific region.

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Q.� How big are seahorses

A.� The smallest are just 1cm and the biggest are 30cm.

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Q.� What do seahorses eat

A.� They suck live food, such as small crustaceans, through their snouts.

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Q.� Are seahorses endangered

A.� Yes, because they live in shallow coastal waters, which are disrupted by human activity. Thousands of seahorses are also caught and sold for fish tanks, but they don't survive well in captivity, dying quickly from stress and disease. Also seahorses are used in traditional Chinese medicines.

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by Lisa Cardy