"are you trying to tell me that seahorses migrate?"

[Keith Whittaker]

I recently met a couple of guys who put me onto some spots in Plymouth sound where the elusive british seahorse may be found. However I was then told by others that "it was a bit early in the year for Seahorses!"
so my question is, where do seahorses go in the winter ?
I have a hard time envisaging seahorses finning through the atlantic towards the saragasso sea or some such. Do they hibernate ? Die off each autumn except for a few hardy individuals who nestle under rocks until the return of warmer waters and a flurry of orgiastic seahorse sex ? Just leave the tiny little babies who are too small to be seen by the average diver ? Teleport to the med ?
Any seahorse experts out there in YD land know ?

Keith

[Xav]

Seahorses do in fact migrate. Despite a relatively fragile appearance, they are strong swimmers and can anchor themselves to aquatic vegetation using their prehensile tails. This prevents them from being thrown around at the mercy of the currents during tidal surge.

From the British Seahorse Survey, in reference the the Spiny Seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus:

" During the spring, summer and early autumn it usually occupies shallower areas, from 1 to 20 metres but appears to migrate into deeper water in the winter with the deepest record from 85 metres during January a few years ago off South Devon. We think the reason for this seasonal migration is to get away from the worst of the winter storms where they would certainly be killed if they stayed in the shallows where the worst effects of the winter storms can take their toll."

Hope this helps

Xav

[Keith Whittaker]

Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs!
Consider me, well and truly suprised. Cheers for that.

Keith

[triplefin]

Originally Posted by Xav

Seahorses do in fact migrate. Despite a relatively fragile appearance, they are strong swimmers and can anchor themselves to aquatic vegetation using their prehensile tails. This prevents them from being thrown around at the mercy of the currents during tidal surge.

From the British Seahorse Survey, in reference the the Spiny Seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus:

" During the spring, summer and early autumn it usually occupies shallower areas, from 1 to 20 metres but appears to migrate into deeper water in the winter with the deepest record from 85 metres during January a few years ago off South Devon. We think the reason for this seasonal migration is to get away from the worst of the winter storms where they would certainly be killed if they stayed in the shallows where the worst effects of the winter storms can take their toll."

Hope this helps

Xav

Well well you live an learn on YD. Fascinating thx