Download A Seahorse of a Different Color

A Seahorse of a Different
Color;
Ponies of the Sea
An Educator’s Guide to the Program
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.
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.
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Table of Contents
A Seahorse of a Different Color Abstract
Educator Information
Vocabulary
Internet resources and books
PASS/OK Science standards
Accompanying Activities
Father Knows Best Quiz (K-3)
Label the Seahorse (K-3)
Seahorse Maze (2-3)
Seahorse Color (2) (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.
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A Seahorse of a Different Color; Ponies of the Sea:
Educator information
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The male seahorse becomes pregnant with the female seahorse’s eggs

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
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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.
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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)

(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
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OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR SCIENCE MET:
K-3
K-LS1-1
K-ESS3-1
1-LS1-1
1-LS1-2
1-LS3-1
1-ESS3-1
2-LS4-1
3-LS1-1
3-LS3-1
3-LS4-2
3-LS4-3
3-LS4-4
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