what family of species do seahorses belong to? who else is in this family?

Question

tell me a little bit about seahorses please, especially the breeds in new zealand.

thank you! cheers.

Answer 1

Multi-celled animals (Metazoa)
CHORDATA (VERTEBRATES)
Seahorses and pipefishes (Syngnathidae)

Thats their family.

Family of pipefishes (Syngnathidae) is divided into 4 subfamilies, the seahorses (Hippocampinae), the seadragons (Solegnathinae), the pipefishes (Syngnathinae) and the flagtailed pipefishes (Doryhamphinae), each with various genera.

Characteristics

Seahorses have elongate bodies encased in bony rings. No pelvic fins but most have small pectoral fins and a single dorsal fin. Tubelike mouth / snout with no teeth. Small gill openings. Syngnathids can move their eyes independently (like chameleons). Seahorses have a prehensile tail.
Ecology and range

Seahorses inhabit coral reefs and sea grass beds. Some inhabit brackish or freshwater habitat. They prefer sheltered areas and are well camouflaged. They are found all over the world.
Behavior

Seahorses swim upright with their tails down and their heads up. They feed on small crustaceans employing a sit- and - wait strategy, remaining stationary and snapping prey that comes near. With their tubelike mouth they create a vacuum that draws their prey into the mouth.

Seahorses are capable of rapid color transformations to blend with their surroundings. While mating they also change colors either lightening or darkening their skin. Seahorses are monogamous and during the mating period they engage in a lengthy courtship. The male seahorse carries the eggs in a brood pouch where they are fertilized and incubated until they hatch.

Seahorses are being overcollected. Please help preservation efforts and don't use them in aquariums. Reports indicate for example, that the Hippocampus population in the central Philippines have diminished by 70% between 1985 and 1995! Thousands of seahorses are imported to Europe, the United States and Japan as pets for aquariums.

Dried seahorses are often offered as souvenirs, don't buy them! However the biggest consumer is traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean medicine. Dried seahorses are used to "cure" a wide range of illnesses such as asthma, arteriosclerosis skin diseases but most important sexual dysfunction. The annual consumption by Asians nations of dried seahorses has been estimated at 45 tons (= ca. 16 mill. individuals!).

Answer 2

Hope these help - aren't seahorses great?!!

If you are in New Zealand, why not go to The National Aquarium (see below)? In fact wherever in the world you are you should be able to find a local aquarium, I know there's some great ones in South West England, where you can combine a bit of on-the-spot research with a great day out? It's really interesting to ask the keepers of these gorgeous animals your questions, they'll be delighted to tell you all about them. I was in the London Aquarium looking at the seahorses once and the keeper pointed out the hundreds of babies they'd had - they were minute and I'd never have noticed them if he hadn't said, amazing!!!

The National Aquarium of New Zealand:

The National Aquarium of New Zealand has the largest range of species in New Zealand, featuring sharks, stingray and hundreds of fish species, representative of New Zealand’s East Coast. There are also eels, trout, sea horse, turtles, octopus, tropical marine fish, kiwi, tuatara, water dragons, native frogs and crocodiles all on display.

The Aquarium is located on the Marine Parade in Napier, just a short walk from the city centre, and is well worth a visit for anyone with an interest in marine life. The aquarium features a reef tank, a travelator, a true underwater experience, a tsunami interactive display and a typical New Zealand rocky shore environment.

The aquarium also has a themed souvenir shop, a café, disabled parking and access, with public car parking nearby, to make the visit an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Answer 3

Believe it or not, a seahorse is a fish.

As for seahorses in New Zealand, Google "seahorse New Zealand" and you'll come up with lots of coolinformation.

Answer 4

enjoy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seahorse