Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Order: Perciformes
Genus: Hippocampus- Hippo-horse
Campus-sea animal
There are about 40 different species of seahorses.
Appearance
The Seahorse is a vertebrae fish that has a wide range of color and can vary from 6-12 inches. You can think of the seahorse as a fusion of many other animals. It has the head of a horse, the pouch of a kangaroo, the eyes of a lizard, (which enable them to see to the side and front at the same time), tail of a monkey, and has the ability to change colors in order to camouflage itself, like a chameleon.
The seahorse also has an "armored" body which, is an advantage against its predators, but also a disadvantage, because it restricts the animal’s flexibility. In the diagram, you can see the pectoral fin, this allows the seahorse to steer and turn. The dorsal fin allows it to swim, and can move 20-30 times/second!
Habitat
A seahorse makes its home in warm, or temperature, salt waters. To build their homes, seahorses use the reef and seaweed. This provides great protection from their predators.
