Wild Wednesday - Seahorse
There are two species of seahorse found in UK waters: the Short Snouted and the Long Snouted (also known as the Spiny) seahorse. Unsurprisingly, the main difference between them is the length of their snout. At around 15cm they’re half the size of a typical ruler.
Both species can change colour to act as camouflage – seahorses aren’t the fastest of swimmers so they rely on concealment tactics to avoid being eaten by predatory fish.
These seahorses are found all around the UK - populations have even been found in the Thames! They tend to stick to shallow, sheltered waters where they can hide and use their tail to cling onto seagrass and seaweed.
Most fascinating is the way that males give birth to young (known as ‘fry’). The female passes eggs to the male, who looks after them until they hatch.
Read more here:
Long-snouted seahorse | The Wildlife Trusts
Short-snouted seahorse | The Wildlife Trusts