Korean Seahorse Courtship | Hippocampus haema

This is a palr of Korean seahorses (Hippocampus haema) preparing to spawn. About 30 seconds after this photo was taken, the seahorses swam up from the reef, where the lighter-colored female (left) deposited eggs into the abdominal pouch of the male (right). Once spawning takes place, seahorses usually usually return to independent activity, most often foraging for food. In this instance, the pair stayed together post-spawning and continued courtship-like behavior. They maintained body contact, often with their prehensile tails intertwined. The male broods the eggs for three to ten weeks, depending upon the time of year. After hatching the juveniles, the male engages in courtship with the female and mates again throughout the spring and summer breeding season. Pair bonds are reasonably consistent, though there seems to be some mixing that takes place. Described in 2017, this species is found in the waters of Korea, as well as along the southern and western coasts of Japan.

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Copyright: Copyright Tony Wu. All rights reserved. No duplication, reproduction or usage without prior written permission.
Image Size: 5895x3930 / 66.4MB; https://www.photoshelter.com/support/license#rm; https://www.tony-wu.com/contact-tony-wu; Bony Fish Seahorse Animalia Chordata Osteichthyes Actinopterygii Syngnathiformes Syngnathidae Hippocampus haema Himetatsu Korean Seahorse CITES Appendix 2 Reproduction Courtship Pacific Japan Kumamoto Prefecture
Contained in galleries: Marine Life Reproduction, Marine Life | Japan

This is a palr of Korean seahorses (Hippocampus haema) preparing to spawn. About 30 seconds after this photo was taken, the seahorses swam up from the reef, where the lighter-colored female (left) deposited eggs into the abdominal pouch of the male (right). Once spawning takes place, seahorses usually usually return to independent activity, most often foraging for food. In this instance, the pair stayed together post-spawning and continued courtship-like behavior. They maintained body contact, often with their prehensile tails intertwined. The male broods the eggs for three to ten weeks, depending upon the time of year. After hatching the juveniles, the male engages in courtship with the female and mates again throughout the spring and summer breeding season. Pair bonds are reasonably consistent, though there seems to be some mixing that takes place. Described in 2017, this species is found in the waters of Korea, as well as along the southern and western coasts of Japan.