Seahorses have long bodies with bony rings. Their mouth too, is a long tube-like snout, with teeth. Like a chameleon, each of the Seahorse’s eyes can move independently. Also like a chameleon, a Seahorse can quickly change colour in order to blend in with its surroundings.

Seahorses like sheltered areas of water but they are found in such areas the world over. They swim with their head up and tail down, almost appearing to glide proudly along. They wait for their prey to pass by and when small crustaceans or prawns are near, they draw the them into their mouth with the help of a type of vacuum mechanism.

Unusually, it is the male Seahorse which gets pregnant.

There are dangers to Seahorses. Thousands are imported to Europe, the USA and Japan each year, as trophies for private aquariums. In the Far East, dried Seahorses are sold as souvenirs and Chinese medicine traditionally uses Seahorses.