¡¡¡¡It¡¯s true that male seahorses never play catch with their children or help them with their homework. But they do outdo(ʤ¹ý) human dads on one count(ÊÂÏî,ÎÊÌâ)¦Ÿ Male seahorses undergo(³Ðµ£) pregnancy and give birth to their sons and daughters. The trait2 is unique in these strange and fascinating(ÃÔÈ˵Ä) fish that inhabit tropical(ÈÈ´øµÄ) and temperate(δøµÄ) coastal waters worldwide. Seahorses¢Ÿ which range from less than an inch to a foot in length¢Ÿ have evolved3 a series of unusual adaptations(ÊÊÓ¦ÐԵı仯). They¡¯re such an unusualª²looking fish¢Ÿ people sometimes don¡¯t realize they¡¯re real fish.

¡¡¡¡The male seahorse has a pouch on its stomach in which to carry babies¡ªas many as 2¢Ÿ000 at a time. A pregnancy lasts from 10 to 25 days¢Ÿ depending on the species. The reproductive(·±Ö³µÄ) process begins when a male and a female seahorse do daily preª²dawn dances¢Ÿ intertwining(ʹ²ø½á) their tails and swimming together. Eventually they engage in a true courtship(Çó»é) dance¢Ÿ which can last as long as eight hours. It ends with the female depositing her eggs in the male¡¯s pouch.

¡¡¡¡The eggs hatch in the pouch. The father cares for the young as they grow¢Ÿ regulating(µ÷Õû,µ÷½Ú) the water salinity(ÑζÈ) in the pouch to prepare them for life in the sea. When the tiny seahorses are ready to be born¢Ÿ the male undergoes muscular contractions(ÊÕËõ) to expel4 the young¢Ÿ known as ¡°fry(ÓãÃç)¢Ÿ¡± from the pouch.

¡¡¡¡While seahorse dads go the extra(¶îÍâµÄ,Íâ¼ÓµÄ) mile to give birth¢Ÿ the parents do not provide their tiny offspring5 with any care or protection after they are born. Infant(δ³ÉÄêµÄ) seahorses are susceptible(Ò×ÊÜÓ°ÏìµÄ) to death from predators(²¶Ê³Õß) and being swept into ocean currents(ÑóÁ÷)¢Ÿ where they drift away from feeding grounds rich in microscopic(¼«Ð¡µÄ,΢СµÄ) organisms6. Fewer than five infant seahorses in every 1¢Ÿ000 survive to adulthood(³ÉÄê)¢Ÿ which helps explain why the litters7 are so large.