A small fish, the seahorse, lives at shallow depths among aquatic plants; its shape and color are similar to algae. Name the type of its protective device against enemies, explain its meaning and relative nature. 1) the resemblance of an animal to a stationary one natural object-a plant is called a patronizing resemblance (imitation); 2) the seahorse hangs among aquatic plants and is invisible to predators; 3) when the fish moves or in open space, it becomes accessible and noticeable to enemies.
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Among large number fish there are unique representatives of this class. At first glance, it is not even clear that this is a fish in front of you, however, it is so. In the class of ray-finned fish there is a creature called the rag-picker seahorse, or simply the rag-picker.
It is worth saying that this wonderful and unusual creature looks more like a lace napkin than a rag, and to come up with the name “rag picker” for this creature was somehow too modest! The rag picker is a representative of the order Acicularis, family - Acicularis.
What is so unusual about the appearance of the rag-picker seahorse?
The entire surface of the fish’s body is covered with numerous outgrowths with a soft structure. Outwardly, they look like ribbons blowing in the wind. Therefore, among the algae this animal is completely invisible. But you can admire its beauty endlessly, because the rag-picker seahorse looks more like a decorative figurine than an ordinary fish. This is truly a beautiful underwater creature!
The smallest species, the dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), is only 2 cm long. It is completely indistinguishable from coral branches The body length of an adult fish, on average, reaches 35 centimeters. The color of the rag picker varies: yellowish-green, yellow or orange-yellow. The mouth opening resembles a tube. Food enters the body through it. The body and head are connected to each other... by the neck! Do you see this in other fish? There are two very expressive large eyes on the head.
Where does the rag picker live?
This animal is characterized by areas with moderate temperatures, so it can be found in the waters Indian Ocean: near the coast of the Australian continent (more precisely, its southern, southeastern and southwestern parts). In addition, the rag-tailed seahorse lives in the eastern and northern parts of the island of Tasmania (which is an island state of Australia).
The lifestyle and behavior of a rag picker
The natural habitats of this fish are coral reefs and shallow waters (up to 20 meters). The water temperature, as mentioned above, should be moderate.
Looking at this creature, it seems that it is harmless and very calm. But beauty is deceiving! The rag-picker seahorse is a real predator! And shrimp become its victims. Due to the lack of teeth, the rag picker cannot separate the caught prey into parts, so it simply swallows it whole into its long tubular mouth. In a whole day, an animal can eat as many as 3,000 shrimp! How gluttonous he turns out to be, this rag picker!
Research by scientists has shown that in conditions wildlife The rag-picker seahorse lives up to four to five years.
What does the rag fish eat?
The main food for these representatives of the needle family is, of course, however, rag pickers eat plankton and small underwater plants. When food enters the rag picker’s mouth, some kind of filtration occurs: water is poured back into environment through the gills, and the food, already filtered, remains in the mouth.
Reproduction of seahorses
The mating season for these fish occurs in the first half of summer. When a female and a male form a pair, they begin a picturesque pair “dance.” Both partners move smoothly and at the same time change their color.
After this, the female lays eggs; there are often about 150 of them in the clutch. And she puts them... no, no, not on algae leaves or even on stones, but on... the male’s tail! Until the birth of the fry, the male ragpicker carries the egg clutch on himself.
After a month (sometimes two months), fry appear that are capable of independent life immediately after hatching. In my own way appearance They look like adults, but they are quite defenseless, and their parents have already left them and no longer protect them. Therefore, a very small percentage of fry survive to adulthood.
Human use
Ragfish seahorses are captured primarily for placing in aquariums. But too frequent catching of these fish has led to the fact that their population began to decline sharply, so they are taken under protection, and their official catching is prohibited by law.
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Some animals became so carried away by camouflage that they became completely different from the representatives of their class. For example, seahorses bear little resemblance to fish, and some of them are even difficult to mistake for animals. In this article we will talk about the master of mimicry - the rag-picking seahorse. You will find photos and interesting facts about him below. We will also tell you interesting facts from amazing life sea inhabitant.
Rag horse
Seahorses look extraordinary. Their curved body is very similar to chess piece horse, which is how they got their name. Despite their bizarre shapes, they are all fish and belong to the order Acidaceae.
Many of them have various growths on the body and can change color to blend in as much as possible with the surrounding background. The marine one does it especially well. Its body is greatly elongated and covered with numerous processes resembling branches and leaves. Most of these processes serve only for camouflage and do not have other practical functions.
Like other skates, the ragpicker has a small head and a long, tube-like snout. It acts like a vacuum cleaner, collecting prey along with water. Rag pickers are colored green, yellow or blue, and are able to change shade depending on their internal state and mood. The color also depends on what exactly the fish eat. Compared to their brothers, they have quite big sizes. Adult skates reach about 30-35 centimeters in length.
Where do they live?
Seahorses are exotic animals and are not usually found in our area. They mainly prefer warm subtropical and tropical seas. The rag-tailed seahorse lives off the western and southern coasts of Australia, in the waters of the Indian Ocean. They live at shallow depths or at coral reefs without going deeper than 20-30 meters from the surface.
In fact, the species is an Australian endemic and is considered the symbol of the state of South Australia. Today, the pipit is under strict protection, as it may be in danger of extinction. The main reason for this is water pollution industrial waste, as well as catching rag pickers by divers for souvenirs.
Nutrition
Ragfish seahorses are solitary animals and do not form groups or schools. They live on their own, feeding on small crustaceans and algae that come along their way. They do not have any special tricks or devices for catching prey. Skates are slow and clumsy enough to be serious predators. Their whole secret is to disguise themselves as algae, thanks to which they become invisible to their victims.
The ragpicker seahorse is toothless and does not have a movable jaw. He simply sucks in his food and swallows it without chewing. The basis of its diet is plankton and mysid crustaceans, which it can eat up to several thousand per day.
The skate itself rarely becomes prey. It contains many bones and little nutrients, therefore it is not of particular value to predators.
Lifestyle
The rag picker is not a very active inhabitant of the ocean. It moves smoothly and very slowly, covering a distance of no more than 150 meters in one minute. If something happens, he will not be able to escape from the enemy, so with his whole appearance he creates the impression of a branch floating with the flow. Almost transparent fins on the back and chest help it move through the water. They constantly sway and flutter, creating the illusion of leaves.
The inability of skates to swim confidently makes them completely helpless during a storm. However, many of them have a coiled tail that helps them cling to underwater plants and stay in place. This is well shown in the children's cartoon "Octonafty" in the episode "Octonafty and the Seahorses." The rag picker does not have such a device, so during a storm the waves often throw it onto the coast.
Body length rag picker can reach 35 cm.
Habitat rag pickers: Indian Ocean.
Appearance
Rag-picker seahorse- a very unusual fish, the whole body of which is covered with processes. These shoots resemble algae in appearance and serve as an excellent means of camouflage. The species in question move very slowly with the help of almost transparent fins, so it seems as if they are floating in the water column. This ability allows them to remain invisible in algae thickets.
Habitat and food
live rag pickers mainly on coral reefs and shallow waters, in dense thickets of algae in the coastal waters of Tasmania and Australia. Interesting fact is that these fish spend their entire lives in the place of their birth. They feed mainly on algae, small crustaceans and plankton, while they themselves contain practically no nutrients and are of no interest to more large fish, the only exceptions are stingrays. Currently, these interesting creatures are under the protection of the Australian government, because... due to industrial pollution natural environment habitat, their population is rapidly declining. It should be noted that Australians have always treated these creatures with trepidation, so rag-picking seahorse is the emblem of one of the states of Australia and even adorns one of the coins.
Reproduction and lifespan
Female rag picker lays about 120 eggs, which after fertilization are attached to the tail of the male. Every morning, throughout the entire period from laying eggs to the birth of babies, lovers perform courtship dances in front of each other, while the color of their bodies becomes brighter and more saturated. After birth, babies immediately become independent, which is why their survival rate is no more than 5 percent. The lifespan of these fish is on average about 5 years.
The grass sea dragon belongs to the needle family (Syngnathidae), which includes seahorses and sea pipes. Everyone has known about seahorses for a long time and are already accustomed to their bizarre appearance, but here we have something truly unusual!
Let's face it - seahorses are not that much like the animals they are named after. Firstly, they have no hooves, and secondly, have you ever seen a horse with such a prehensile tail? These fish received the name “pipit” mainly due to the shape of their head, or because they like to eat refined sugar. Last fact At least not known to me.
But the grass sea dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus), which will be discussed, fully lives up to its name, except that it does not breathe fire.
Growing to a size of 45cm, these amazing imitators truly look like little dragons. Their dorsal fins look like wings. The image is complemented by armor on the body made of bone plates, a long tail and a head with a comb.
This unusual body structure is explained by its habitat. The grass sea dragon lives in temperate zone off the coast of South Australia among kelp and other marine plants. They hide in these forests swaying with the current, hunting for mysid crayfish and other small marine crustaceans.
Ragbills lack a tail fin, making them poor swimmers. These move unusual creatures thanks to the energetic strokes of the dorsal and pectoral fins. Pisces form pairs for procreation in early summer, performing skillful mating dances. After this, the female lays up to 250 eggs, which are glued to the male’s tail.
The role of the female in caring for the offspring has been exhausted, and next couple The male carries the eggs on his tail for months until small copies of the parents hatch from them.
Unfortunately, there are many threats to this quirky fish, most of them related to the destruction of natural habitats. Industrial harvesting of rock lobsters leads to an increase in the population of sea urchins, Centrostephanus rogersii, which are preyed upon by the lobsters. Sea urchin eats kelp and leaves grass sea dragon in the open, without food, defenseless against predators. Besides. The likelihood of being washed ashore during a storm increases.
The deterioration of living conditions due to human activities - dredging, land reclamation, wastewater discharge - further contributes to the extinction of the sea dragon. These and other factors have led to Phyllopteryx taeniolatus being listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and natural resources, in the Red Book as endangered.