A seahorse should be your dating coach this Valentine’s

This February 14th, take some lessons in love from some of the most dedicated partners in the animal world: seahorses. These marine mates are masters of ocean romance—even in the face of ongoing threats from unsustainable fishing practices and habitat damage.

Start every day with a dance—even when the going gets tough 

Seahorses begin each morning with a synchronized greeting dance, mirroring movements, linking tails and even changing colours. The male is always waiting for his mate in one particular spot. Their daily dance continues even through pregnancy and injuries. 

“One year, I saw a male with a hole punched through its brood pouch by a predator. Even though he couldn’t care for young, his partner continued to greet him every morning until his pouch healed,” said Dr. Amanda Vincent, professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and co-founder of Project Seahorse.

“Watching seahorses dance together each morning is like witnessing a love story unfold in the wild,” added Dr. Vincent. “Our challenge is to keep the love flowing, by working to reduce the pressures seahorses face, all over the world.”

Males share the load 

Male seahorses carry the babies, earning them the nickname Mr. Mom in the Philippines. The female deposits her eggs in his pouch, and he fertilizes, nurtures, and protects them for 10 days to six weeks. Depending on the species, a male seahorse may give birth to anywhere from five to two thousand young, which swim off into the ocean as their parents start another courtship.

Most seahorse species studied in the wild are monogamous, forming pair bonds during the breeding season and staying loyal to just one partner. Some species mate for life.

Under threat

A 2021 global assessment of extinction risk for 300 species of syngnathiform—dominated by seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons—indicated at least six per cent were threatened, but data suggest a mid-point estimate of 7.9 per cent and an upper bound of 38 per cent.

The primary threats to the species are overexploitation, primarily by non-selective fisheries, and habitat loss and degradation. Threatened species occurred in most regions but more are found in East and South-east Asia and in South African estuaries.

Read more on the Project Seahorse site