Seahorse how many species

Unlike most other fish, seahorses have an exo-skeleton. Their bodies are made up of hard, external, bony plates that are fused together with a fleshy covering. They do not have scales. Seahorses are poor swimmers. They rely on their dorsal fin beating at times per second to propel it along.

Pectoral fins either side of the head help with stability and steering. Seahorses live in shallow weedy areas especially eel grass beds. In winter they move into deeper waters to escape the rough weather. Seahorses are under threat worldwide for three main reasons: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Trade takes in excess of up to million seahorses a year from the wild and these are used for all types of medicine.

The Curio Trade takes approximately one million seahorses from the wild. Along with shells and starfish; they are deliberately taken from the sea and left to die in the boiling sun.

They are then sold as souvenirs, a sad and sorrowful reminder of once beautiful creatures. The pet trade takes an estimated one million seahorses from the wild and It is thought that less than 1, survive more than six weeks. There are about 54 species of seahorses worldwide, and possibly as many sub-species. It is often difficult for scientists to identify seahorses because individuals of the same species can vary greatly in appearance.

New species continue to be found. The Seahorse Trust was set up in as an umbrella organisation to preserve and conserve the natural world, especially the marine environment using Seahorses as our flagship species.

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Science Coronavirus Coverage U. Travel A road trip in Burgundy reveals far more than fine wine. Travel My Hometown In L. Travel The last artists crafting a Thai royal treasure. Subscriber Exclusive Content. They have trunk rings and tail rings, but the rings are not very noticeable. Seadragons are Australian natives. These animals are in the same family as seahorses Syngnathidae and share some characteristics, including a fused jaw and tubelike snout, slow swimming speed and ability to change color to camouflage.

There are two types of seadragons - weedy or common seadragons and leafy seadragons. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Large litters are necessary because only about 0. Many, if not all, of the 47 known seahorse species—14 of which were identified only in the 21st century—are in decline worldwide.

Because seahorses generally live in shallow, near-coastal waters, human activities including development, pollution, fisheries, and traditional medicine have reduced their numbers. At the same time, their universal appeal has worked against them; until recently, wild seahorses were often captured for the aquarium trade.