Seahorse surprises

■ They’re pretty poor swimmers, propelling themselves along by a small fin on their back that flutters

■ When a strong wave hits, seahorses use their tails to grip onto eel grass and other weeds to anchor them in place

■ As their eyes work independently on either side of their head, seahorses can look forwards and backwards at the same time – which is nifty! ■ Seahorses have long, thin snouts to poke into nooks and crannies for food and suck it up like a vacuum cleaner. As they have no teeth or stomach and food quickly passes through their digestive system, they must constantly eat to stay alive

■ Their courtship is a fascinating spectacle involving spinning, swimming side by side and changing colour. Their dance may stop and start for a few days until the female parts with her eggs

■ Contrary to popular belief, they do not mate for life – only for a season ■ They are the only animal species to leave pregnancy to the boys! The female seahorse deposits her eggs into the male’s tail pouch where he fertilises them and carries them. They hatch 2-4 weeks later as fully formed miniature seahorses

■ It’s thought seahorses could be the foundation for dragon legends as when they eat, a little cloud comes out of their gills. This could have been translated, by ancient mariners, into tales of fire-breathing dragons