The brainy seahorse

So for all of you not so into creepy crawly things, I thought I'd better balance out the day's entries with a post on a cute creature. They may not be cuddly, but I think seahorses are downright precious, with their long snouts, curly tails, and ability to turn bright colors in "social moments" (what exactly does that mean, Wikipedia?). The Great Barrier Reef is home to nine species of seahorse. Male seahorses stick close to home (within 1 square meter of their habitat) while females roam up to 100 times that distance (no wonder I like this fish so much!). The male seahorse is the one who gives birth: anywhere from 1 to 2,000 babies ("fry") at a time. Another interesting fact about the seahorse: it is a genus of fish officially called the Hippocampus, which coincidentally is the name for a part of the human brain involved in short term memory. Ooh, and this is kinda cool: their eyes can move independently of each other. The more I learn about these bony fish, the more I want to know!