The Marine Biome

The Marine Biome

Written by

Molly Joyce

A horse--like seahorse is eating shrimp with its long snout when the scuttling sound of a 10--legged red crab arises from the sandy ocean floor, its hard shell upsetting the sandy ocean floor. The crab grabs at the seahorse with its claws snapping ferociously. Crabs are one of the few animals that eat seahorses, along with some species of fish and rays. The seahorse, terrified, uses the current to float to a nearby patch of eelgrass. Once there, it vanishes, perfectly camouflaged with the eelgrass. Adaptations such as camouflage show how the seahorse contributes to its ecosystem. The marine biome is a complex ecosystem where living things depend on abiotic factors. Animals like the seahorse

For example, it has skin instead of scales and a seahorse’s body is covered in bony plates. They also have horse--like heads. (McCosker 2016 and Roux 1980,1981).

Seahorses have a large size range. The smallest seahorses are Pygmy Seahorses and are less than half an inch in length. The Largest Seahorses are Pot Belly Seahorses. Pot Belly Seahorses can be over one foot in length (Can You Ride a Seahorse, 2016)

One of the seahorse’s most unique characteristics is its tail. Seahorses have a long and useful tail. They are the only fish with a prehensile tail. Prehensile means that it is capable of holding or grabbing items. Unlike the tails of dogs, cats, and most other animals, a seahorse’s tail is square. L-shaped bones make it square and this gives it protection. This special characteristic also makes it four times stronger than a round tail. (Why Seahorses have Square Tails, 2015). A seahorse’s fins help it to survive. Seahorses have two fins instead of ears on the side of their head. These fins help it to steer. The dorsal fin on a seahorse’s back is it propulsion. Seahorses can move this fin back and forth 35 times a second (McCoster, John E. 2016 and Roux,Charles 1980,1981, and Judy Wering,