You may have noticed little seahorses swimming all over the Appel à Tous website. But do you know why?
We chose this little fish as our logo because, well… it’s super cute! And who doesn’t know the seahorse? With its small horse-like head and a prehensile, spirally tail, this little vertical fish is instantly recognizable!
Looking carefully, in Martinique, you’ll find two species of sea horses:
Seahorses are monogamous. They stay with their mate “long-term”, and spend time
every day on a complex courtship ritual that looks like them dancing together.
The Lined seahorse
and the Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), which looks very similar; but rather than dots, it tends to have thin stripes on its head, neck, and back.
The Slender or Longsnout
the Slender or Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi), which can reach 15cm long; it can have varying colors, but is mostly recognizable by its scattering of small black dots
When they mate, the female transfers her eggs to the male, who fertilizes them inhis pouch.
So when the time comes, it’s daddy seahorse that gives birth to his young!
So where will you find these little guys?
Since they are terrible swimmers, seahorses are mostly found in calm habitats and protected areas, using their tail
to hold on to the seagrass, soft corals, or even in floating Sargassum.
But be aware, they’re very good at camouflage. So you’ll have to be very attentive; but keep an eye out when
snorkeling and scuba diving and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find this sweet little fish!
This photo was taken by our friend Monia Cabaj when she met this little guy in Grande Anse d’Arlet!
Seahorses eat tiny fish and plankton. As they have no teethand no stomach,
seahorses need to eat constantly to stay alive!
Martinique’s SeaHorses
For more info:
