By IANS
Abu Dhabi : Marine ecologists have collected rare samples of seahorse larvae in the waters northeast of the Delma Island in the United Arab Emirates, the WAM news agency reported Thursday.
The samples were collected in the course of a research programme sponsored by the Marine Environment Research Centre here into fish's reproductive habitats in Abu Dhabi's waters.
About 35 species of seahorses occur around the world, and at least three of them are found in the Arabian Gulf area. Seahorses can change colour to match their background and, much like humans, are generally monogamous.
The male and the female, in monogamous pairs, will greet one another with courtship displays in the morning and sometimes in the evening to reinforce their bonding.
They spend the rest of the day separately hunting for food.
Seahorses are also notable for being the only species in the world in which males become pregnant and take care of their babies.
Almost all species of the aquatic animal are listed on the 1996 International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered.