Karen Calder , The Unique Seahorse (May Theme: The Elegance of Nature)

One can see the beautiful elegance of a Seahorse even though they are quite bizarre creatures! Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young. They are fish, but they have a horse-like head, a monkey-like tail and a kangaroo-like pouch. They have a few things in common with chameleons as well - they can move their eyes around, and change their skin colour! Seahorses can even grow bits of skin that look like seaweed to help them hide better. And yes, they have skin, not scales! Their skin is stretched over bony armour, and they often have spines all over their body. The group of spines on the top of their head is called a coronet, which looks like a crown. What a stunning little creature.

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