Dwarf seahorse
ON EXHIBIT:
The Secret Lives of Seahorses
Natural History
This is one of the smallest seahorse species, at just under one inch long. They are commonly found in sea grass beds off the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Gulf of Mexico. Dwarf seahorse pairs take their time getting to know each other before they mate. As part of their mating ritual, a female will swim into the male’s territory, and the pair performs elaborate courtship dances each morning for several days until they eventually hook tails and swim up in the water column to mate.
Conservation
Like their brethren, dwarf seahorses face an uncertain future. Coastal population pressure and the accompanying dredging, pollution and development are destroying their natural homes.
Cool Facts
Dwarf seahorses live among beds of sea grass. With their long tails, they hitch themselves to blades of grass as they graze on tiny animals that drift by with the currents.