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Every Morning, They Meet Again
You already know how it starts: every morning, they meet again in the seagrass. They brighten in colour, twirl together and entwine their tails, the same greeting repeated daily, for as long as the pair stays together.
But the dance is more than affection. It keeps the bond alive and quietly synchronises their reproductive cycles, so that when the moment comes, both partners are ready.
And then, he gets pregnant.
After mating, the female transfers her eggs into the male’s brood pouch. He fertilises them there and carries the developing young for several weeks, until he gives birth to fully-formed miniature seahorses.
During this time, the male provides oxygen, removes waste and regulates the conditions inside his pouch.
A long-snouted seahorse in its natural seagrass habitat, off the coast of Malta.
Three projects working to keep long-snouted seahorses in the sea.
Barcelona, Spain
Anèl·lides — Save the Sea Horses
Rescues seahorses caught in artisanal fishing nets around Barcelona, nurses them at the city's aquarium, and returns them to protected reintroduction sites along the coast.
Surveys long-snouted seahorse populations across Posidonia meadows along Spain's Mediterranean coast, training citizen divers to record sightings and protect key habitats.
Monitors the last wild seahorse population of the Mar Menor lagoon in Spain and works with local fishers and authorities to secure its long-term protection.
