Amazing Male Seahorse Giving Birth To Thousands Of Babies Underwater

Seahorses are totally rad creatures. In addition to their captivating appearance, seahorses also posses many interesting attributes! Seahorses are members of the pipefish family. Did you know that it is male seahorses that get pregnant, not female? Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life.

"Their truly remarkable biological claim to fame, however, is that male seahorses and sea dragons get pregnant and bear young—a unique adaptation in the animal kingdom. After completing an elaborate courtship dance that may go on for hours or days, the female seahorse transfers her mature eggs into the male's brood pouch, where they are fertilized. At the end of a gestation period usually lasting from two to four weeks, the pregnant male's abdominal area begins to undulate rhythmically, and strong muscular contractions eject from a few dozen to as many as 1,000 fully formed baby seahorses into the surrounding water." Via National Ocean Service NOAA.