2 seahorses.
My seahorses have never gotten to the point of
egg fertilization, but they have completed the elaborate courtship, which is more of a ballet.
This ballet is a series of synchronized swirls and movements that goes on for several days.
The seahorses braid their tails together while going up and down and around and around in the tank.
The seahorses also change color as they dance.
During the complicated ballet, the female seahorse will strain her head and lift her neck upward. With her snout pointing up, it is as though she is howling in an attempt to hurry the male seahorse along.
Now and then, the male separates from the female as he sweeps his tail forward and up toward his snout. How many times I have felt myself coaching the male as he gives big pushes which result in opening up his pouch.
The repeated "pushes" further opens up this vertical slit.
When seahorses do "consummate the relationship", the female and male alien their open pouches. The female's thousands of eggs are then transferred into the males pouch where fertilization takes place.
Gestation lasts for 2 to 4 weeks depending upon the "type" of seahorse and the water temperature.
The link below is an amazing video of a male seahorse giving birth.
GET READY TO COACH IN THE PUSHING DEPARTMENT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaoLxR9FTwk
This next video shows a hippocampus seahorse
(the type I have)
giving birth to quite a few fry...
Ummmmm...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsHCqrrU-Gk&NR=1&feature=endscreen
This next video shows a hippocampus seahorse
(the type I have)
giving birth to quite a few fry...
Ummmmm...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsHCqrrU-Gk&NR=1&feature=endscreen
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| This is my beloved Abby Road Vin Diesel. He is the same seahorse type as Sweetheart. Abby pulls his tail forward and bares down in order to open up his pouch. The other seahorse, my Imagine Peace, stays close to Abby. Had the courtship gone to fruition, Imagine would have deposited her eggs into Abby's pouch. Fertilization would then take place . Two to four weeks later, the fry would be born. |
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| Again, as sweet Abby pushes, Imagine Peace is at his side LITERALLY coaching and supporting her lovingly. |
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| Abby takes a break from the pushing that will open up his bare cavity. The bubbles offer a soothing massage to his belly. |
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| Valentina is fat with eggs. Hoover is not far behind her as the courtship continues. Valentina scurries a few inches away from Hoover. She hitches and waits for Hoover to catch up. Its as though Valentina is playing shy and "hiding in plain site" from Hoover. Once Hoover catches up to where Valentina is, Valentina will once again run off, and then wait for Hoover to catch up. This part of the courtship repeats itself over and over again! ADORABLE AFFECTION!!!! |
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| Here, my photo shows the fullness and bloating of the female's belly. This is in sharp contrast to the loose baggie appearance of my male's belly. |
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| As the courtship continues, the seahorse couple begin to swim in unison up and down. They swirl around each other in a synchronized ballet. They are in total precision with each other. Its as though they have practiced this intertwining dance forever. |
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| This lovely photo shows Valentina looking tenderly at Abby's belly. |
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| Some photos are a bit repetitious for 2 reasons: One, I'm not that good at the computer, so if I delete one, I'm not certain that others will also be deleted. Second, they are so worth another look! |
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| Seahorses gracefully swirl around each other in a perfectly synchronized courtship dance. |
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| Here, my photo shows my female Seahorse lifting her snout upward. She is coaching my male (or maybe yelling at him), "HURRY UP"! "OPEN YOUR BELLY"! "I CANNOT HOLD THESE EGGS MUCH LONGER"! |
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| Sweetheart continues to push. |
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| Note the open belly. |
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| Again, the open belly in the male. |
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| More encouragement for the male from the female to get that belly open so the eggs can be transferred (into his belly) and fertilization can take place. |
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| More...."encouragement"... |
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| And again.... "HURRY!" "KEEP PUSHING"! |
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| Note the bulbous belly area. |
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| More pushing by my male seahorse. The female stays close to his side during the courtship. |
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| Again, I know some of my photos are close-ups of the same photo.... BUT... If you are as mesmerized as I....you'll check them all out in wonder! |
