Not being a taxonomist, I was thwarted for a few years until I met seahorse taxonomist Graham Short at another conference, and we started talking about this unusual pygmy. On much closer inspection, Japapigu turned out to be quite different: Genetic analysis showed that it split off from all other pygmies around 8 million years ago. Pygmy seahorses are very small, measuring half an inch to just over an inch 1.
In addition to their size, true pygmies are slightly different morphologically from their larger cousins. As adaptations to their small sizes, pygmy seahorses have a single gill opening at the back of the head, and males brood their fry in a special pouch within the body cavity rather than in a pouch on the tail like other seahorses. To confuse matters, there are also a few species of tiny non-pygmy seahorses, such as the dwarf seahorse found in parts of the southeastern United States; these are morphologically tiny versions of the larger seahorses.
Like all other seahorses, pygmies have the reproductive quirk of male pregnancy. In a process known as egg hydration, females internally ready a clutch of eggs about four days before they are due to mate. Daily dances and behavioral rituals with their partners allow pairs to synchronize their reproductive cycles, minimizing the time between broods to produce as many young as possible. The male fertilizes the eggs as they go into his pouch, as such he can be certain that he is the father of each baby he carries, which is almost unique in the animal kingdom.
For this reason the male seahorse becomes pregnant and puts so much effort into raising the fry. I investigated their population sizes, the impacts of diver interactions, and how they use the space on gorgonian corals. One of the most unexpected aspects of my research, however, was their social and reproductive biology. Environment Planet Possible How to brew a greener beer. Environment This year project is tracking the Cascades' melting glaciers. Environment Planet Possible Weather disaster deaths are lower—will warming undo that trend?
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Sign up to get the good stuff delivered to your inbox, weekly. GOT IT! Thank you for signing up. Expect to hear from us very soon. Pygmy seahorses grow to an average size of 0. Like all other seahorses, pygmy seahorses give birth to live young. Males brood the eggs in a pouch for about two weeks 1 before giving birth to upward of 34 young.
Newborns are each a mere 0.
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