BWB – Pregnant Males

Pregnancy is something normally connected to females, but what if I tell you were is a group of animals where the males are pregnant. I speak about Syngnathidae the family to which belong seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons. All of these fish are small, slow swimming fish which try to camouflage in the environment for protection. The unique thing about these fish though is the reproduction, as the males are the ones who incubate the eggs. After an elaborate courtship ritual, the female deposits the eggs in a “pouch” which the males have either on the abdomen or tail. The males then incubate the eggs and in some cases even provide the brood with nutrients and protects them from pathogens. When the babies hatch they are released to the ocean fully capable to survive by themselves now.

By Horst Schulte

Photo by Horst Schulte