Seahorses mate in mid-water, and mated pairs engage in elaborate courtship rituals involving tail-holding, “carouseling” around one another while swimming, and color-changing displays. Mated pairs also seem to enjoy spending time together, and often hitch together in a sea fan or other favorite hitching spot. The young seahorses in my tank haven’t had a chance to observe any older seahorses “dancing,” but that hasn’t stopped them from figuring the courtship rituals out on their own. Over the weekend, Vega and Moya (who ended up being male, despite his feminine-sounding name) started courtship behaviors. They spent a lot of time together, hitched in
Read moremating dance
Dancers of the Reef
Seahorses mate in mid-water, during an elaborate mating “dance” that can last for several hours before the transfer of eggs takes place. The male and female swim together both to bond and also to coordinate their movements so the female can deposit her eggs in the male’s pouch. (Not an easy feat when you have to accomplish the task in a current without any arms or legs.) So far, Cygnus and Ceti haven’t actually managed a successful transfer. Ceti bred twice with her previous mate (little Ghillie, now abandoned in favor of the larger – though less intelligent – Cyg) but
Read more