How do seahorses mate and give birth?
Seahorses are hermaphrodites—that is, individuals are born with both male and female reproductive organs. These can be seen in the rostrum, a snaking structure at the front end of the seahorse. The male seahorse is equipped with a penis and the female with a modified ovipositor (the organ that the female uses to lay eggs). When a male and a female come together, they lock their rostrums and release the sperm while the female
How do male sea horses mate and give birth?
Male sea horses use their claspers to attach to the female during the mating process. Once the males have attached, they transfer their sperm to the female’s cloaca, a common passageway for reproduction in many animals. The female then fertilizes her eggs internally, and after about 10 to 12 days, the babies are born.
How do sea horses mate and give birth underwater?
The male sea horse mates with the female by touching her cloaca with his penis. The male then inserts his sperm into the female’s cloaca. Very soon after the mating, the pregnant female will lay her eggs. Depending on the location of the eggs, the developing embryos may be left to develop on their own in the water column, or the male may fertilize them inside the female’s body.
How do sea horses mate and give birth on land?
Sea horses are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female sex organs. During courtship, the male sea horse extends his long penis, called a gonopod, to the female. The male inserts the gonopod into the female's cloaca. This exchange allows the male to transfer his sperm to the female. The pair then separate, but the male continues to stimulate the female's cloaca with his gonopod.
How do male sea horses give birth and mate?
Males produce sperm throughout their lives, and the sperm are stored in a pouch called a gonoduct. A pair of male seahorses forms a tight ball during mating, with one partner inside the other. The male's gonoduct then extends toward the female's genital opening, and the male inserts his to the female's cloaca.
