The male can receive another brood of eggs almost immediately after giving birth. The young are miniature versions of their parents that receive no further care. Once the eggs hatch, the male convulses his body and expels the young through a single opening in the pouch. To nourish the growing young, the male also produces inorganic compounds and releases the hormone prolactin, which helps break down the proteins contributed by the female. During this time the male nurtures the developing young by regulating the chemistry of the fluid inside the pouch, slowly transforming it from that of his internal body fluids to that of salt water as pregnancy progresses. Depending on the species, the eggs remain in the pouch between 10 days and six weeks. After an elaborate courtship, the female uses an ovipositor (egg duct) to place her eggs into a brood pouch located at the base of the male’s tail where the eggs are later fertilized. The reproductive behaviour of seahorses is notable in that the male carries the fertilized eggs. Seahorses also rely upon camouflage to avoid predators such as crabs and other fishes. When small organisms swim nearby, a seahorse may capture them by rapidly sucking them into the mouth. Their sedentary habits coupled with excellent camouflage abilities render them successful ambush predators. Seahorses are usually found clinging to plants or corals with their tails. These plants provided seahorses with useful hiding places to avoid enemies and to capture unsuspecting prey, and ancestors of the seahorse evolved to maximize the opportunities offered by this new habitat. Some scientists contend that this upright swimming posture evolved shortly after the expansion of sea grasses in the western Pacific roughly 25 million years ago. They use pectoral fins located on the side of the head to maneuver. When swimming they maintain a vertical position and propel themselves forward using a soft-rayed dorsal fin. Seahorses are rather immobile, swimming more slowly than other fishes. Learn about the characteristics, reproductive habits, and different species of seahorses See all videos for this article SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. #WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.
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