A Seahorse of a Different Color

A Seahorse of a
Different Color;
Ponies of the Sea
An Educator’s Guide
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GRADES: K-­‐3 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This guide provided by the Oklahoma Aquarium explores seahorses and how a seemingly defenseless animal lacking teeth, speed or venom is able to avoid becoming an easy meal. Students will learn what makes the male seahorse different from other fish fathers. Students will learn how seahorses use their armored body, prehensile tail and independent eyesight to avoid predation. This presentation will focus on everything from the seahorse’s diet to being able to recognize their close relatives like pipe and trumpet fish. *Before your class visits the Oklahoma Aquarium*
This guide contains information and activities for you to use both before and after your visit to the Oklahoma Aquarium. You may want to read stories about seahorses and their relatives to the students, present information in class, or utilize some of the activities from this booklet. 2
Table of Contents
A Seahorse of a Different Color Abstract
Educator Information
Vocabulary
Internet resources and books
PASS standards
Accompanying Activities Father Knows Best Quiz (K-­‐3)
Label the Seahorse (K-­‐3)
Seahorse Maze (2-­‐3)
Seahorse Color (3) (K-­‐3)
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A Seahorse of a Different Color; Ponies of the Sea: ABSTRACT Seahorses are vertebrates and even though they look like miniature horses they are actually fish. The seahorse can only be found in saltwater environments where they live in shallow warm water. The United States only has 4 species of seahorses in our waters; however they can be found around all the continents. Seahorses are the slowest fish in the ocean. There are 34 different species of seahorse and they range in size from 1”, the dwarf seahorse to the 12”, giant Pacific seahorse. One of the most unique traits of the seahorse is their unusual lifecycle in which the male carries the eggs in his brood pouch. There are very few male animals that become pregnant, and only the male seahorse possesses a brood pouch. The seahorse likes to swim upright in the water but if you were to turn them on their side you would notice that they have all the same fins as other boney fish. The fins allow the seahorse to stay upright in the water column. Since the seahorse is slow, lacks teeth and is not venomous, its best form of defense is camouflage. The seahorse can change color to blend in with its surroundings. Some species of seahorse have fleshy appendages that mimic the sea grass and algae they live amongst. The prehensile tail grasps onto algae, grasses and coral enabling the seahorse to remain safe in the shallow water. The seahorse has many predators like large fish, sharks and sea turtles; however the bony plates within the seahorse’s body make it a less than appetizing meal. Some of the common habitats where seahorses are found are coral reefs, eel grass beds, and kelp forests. Kelp forests are very dense, so species like the leafy seadragon camouflage well amongst the blades of kelp. The seahorse is a carnivore and it hunts small crustaceans that it can fit into its tiny toothless mouth opening. Since seahorses lack a stomach they cannot hold onto their food very long which forces them to be on a constant search for food. The seahorses at the aquarium are fed live brine shrimp several times a day. A seahorse’s eyes move independently, which means they can see in two different directions at one time. This enables the seahorse to keep a look out for predators, and food at the same time. The relatives of the seahorse share some of the same features as the seahorse such as, the tube snout and tiny mouth opening. The seahorse has many relatives and some such as the shrimp fish, pipe fish and trumpet fish can also be seen from time to time at the Oklahoma Aquarium. Seahorses are endangered for numerous reasons, like pollution and habitat destruction; however the biggest threat to seahorses is their use in Asian medicines. Some cultures believe the dried ground up bodies of seahorses can prevent many ailments such as asthma. The price for 1 kilogram of dried seahorse is approximately 1,200 U.S. dollars. One can easily see why a struggling family in a developing country may capture seahorses to provide for their families. 4
A Seahorse of a Different Color; Ponies of the Sea: Educator information •
The male seahorse becomes pregnant with the female seahorse’s eggs
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The male seahorse will carry the baby seahorses in its pouch for
approximately 4 weeks
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Seahorses have 1,500 young at a time
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Seahorses only live 4 years
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The coronet on the top of the seahorse’s head is as unique as our fingerprints
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The seahorse is the slowest fish in the ocean even though its dorsal fin beats
32 times per second
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The dorsal fin propels the seahorse through the water
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The pectoral fins steer the seahorse from left to right
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The anal fin keeps the seahorse upright in the water
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Instead of scales the seahorse has boney rings of armor
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The smallest seahorse is the dwarf seahorse and it only reaches 1”
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The male pipefish, a relative of the seahorse does not have a pouch, instead it
holds its eggs under its tail until they are ready to hatch
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Kelp forests are dense enough that they prevent large predators like shark
from entering to hunt among their blades
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It takes 3 to 4 hundred seahorses to make 1 kilogram of dried seahorse
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Most seahorses for the pet trade are taken from the wild which reduces their
numbers
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Fishermen in ancient Rome thought that seahorses were the babies of
Neptune’s horses
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VOCABULARY: Prehensile tail-­‐ a tail with the ability to grasp, found in animals like seahorse, chameleons and monkeys Brooding pouch-­‐ a pouch found only in the male seahorse in which the female deposits her eggs Carnivore-­‐ an animal that eats other animals as their primary food source Cirri-­‐ spiny and knobby processes on the seahorse’s head Dorsal fin-­‐ a fin on the back of a fish Endangered-­‐ a species in danger of becoming extinct Pectoral fin-­‐ one of a pair of fins on a fish’s side toward the front of its body Pelvic fin-­‐ one of a pair of fins on a fish’s side toward the back of its belly Vertebrate-­‐ animals that possess a backbone Crustacean-­‐ an animal with a hard exoskeleton that range in size from small brine shrimp to lobsters 6
RESOURCES: INTERNET RESOURCES: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/seahorse/
www.teachervision.com
www.sfscience.com
www.teachervision.com
www.childstoryhour.com BOOKS and REFERENCES: Carle, Eric (2004) Mister Seahorse. Philomel Books Miller, Sara Swan (2002) Seahorse, Pipefishes, and Their Kin Franklin Watts, a division of Scholastic Inc. Soffer, Ruth (1995) Coral Reef Coloring Book. Dover Publications, Inc. 7
PASS STANDARDS MET: All education programs and their accompanying materials at the Oklahoma Aquarium will meet several Oklahoma PASS objectives in various disciplines. The following list is not all inclusive. SCIENCE Science Processes and Inquiry • (grade K) Process Standard 1-­‐ Science Processes and Inquiry • (grade 1-­‐3) Process Standard 1-­‐ Observe and Measure • (grade 1-­‐3) Process Standard 2-­‐ Classify • (grade 1-­‐3) Process Standard 3-­‐ Experiment and Inquiry • (grade 1-­‐3) Process Standard 4-­‐ Interpret and Communicate Physical Science • (grade K)
• (grade 1)
• (grade 2)
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(grade 3)
Life Science • (grade K)
• (grade 1)
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(grade 2)
(grade 3)
Standard 1-­‐ Physical Science Standard 1 -­‐ Properties of Objects & Materials Standard 1 -­‐ Properties & Interactions of Objects & Materials Standard 1-­‐ Properties of Objects and materials Standard 2-­‐ Life Science Standard 2-­‐ Characteristics & Basic Needs of Organisms Standard 2-­‐ Life Cycles and Organisms Standard 2-­‐ Characteristics and Basic Needs of Organisms and Environments Earth/Space Science •
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(grade K)
(grade 2)
Standard 3-­‐ Earth Science Standard 3-­‐ Properties and Stages of Earth & Sky 8
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