Wildlife

Reproductive System Of Seahorse

By : Sumona Das	Previous \| Next
Posted on : 02 May, 2006	Total Views : 2121

I found awesome information about amazing species called seahorse and their strange reproductive system and would like to share with you. Do you know what �Seahorses� are?

Ok let me explain you about this in details, seahorses are part of the family syngnathidae (pronounced sing-nath-i-dee), which means "fused jaw". All seahorses belong to the genus Hippocampus.

As in most organisms, the reproductive system of the seahorse consists of tubular testes and duct system that merge with the urinary bladder at the cloaca. Seahorses do not possess an external copulatory organ. Males do, however, employ an anal fin which is situated just above the opening of the pouch and helps to direct the ovulated eggs into the pouch. This anal fin also directs sperm released by the urogenital duct towards the mature eggs as they travel from the female to the male�s brood pouch. Because the brood pouch plays no direct role in fertilization, as it is anatomically separated from the reproductive system, the pouch is considered a secondary sex characteristic.

Its reproduction is classified as one based on a parental role reversal between the male and the female. This classification is founded on the rational that, for most species of animals, females serve as the nourishers and primary caretakers of the offspring. Instead, the male seahorse �bears� the offspring by harboring them in his brood pouch after fertilization by the female. The female seahorse first deposits her oocytes into his pouch where they are fertilized by the male�s sperm and consequently osmoregulated, aerated, and nourished until they are able to live on their own.
Seahorses typically mate for life in a monogamous relationship carefully designed to maximize the fitness of both male and female. Each female generates a maximum number of oocytes while for each male there is a maximum carrying capacity for the brood pouch. Thus females seek males whose pouches can hold all of their eggs while males seek females who can fill their pouches.
At this time, after about 2 to 4 weeks of gestation, the male expels the offspring from his pouch through a serious of thrusts and convulsions that may be similar to labor. The number of viable offspring that are ejected varies according to species from 100 to 1500; however only a fraction of those young survive to adulthood. Isn�t so surprising?

Written By : Sumona Das

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