A "Valentine" Sexy Saturday

                                           "Do you take this seahorse....."

That's right, a seahorse mates for life.  In the wild, a seahorse will pick a partner for one or more breeding seasons.  The courtship of a seahorse is a lovely display of color and dance.  Several days before mating, a seahorse couple will link tails and swim together in synchronized movement.  They change colors with vibrant displays that last for hours.  In fact, even after the breeding season has ended, a seahorse couple will greet each other daily with a dance display before separating for the rest of the day.
During the mating season, the males prepare their brood pouch by filling it with water. As the male opens his pouch wide, the female "docks" and deposits 200 to 600 eggs  during their dance.  The male then swishes his body back and forth to distribute the eggs within the pouch.  The male then holds the developing babies for 3 to 6 weeks.  When the babies are ready to be released, the male suffers labor pains as he pumps and thrusts to expel the tiny bodies.  The baby seahorses are generally one centimeter long and must immediately fend for themselves.  Please see the January 15th blog on this site for a picture of this event.  Although a seahorse will only live a few years, a mating couple can produce between 50 and 200 babies each mating season.  Happy Valentines Day!