Vega and Moya

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