Researchers Reveal Seahorses’ Unique Hunting Mechanism and Climate Vulnerability

Seahorses, distinctive fish found in most oceans including Israel's Mediterranean and Red Seas, are notable for their upright posture, elongated snouts, and prehensile tails that anchor them to coastal habitats. Dr. Hadar Ela from Tel Aviv University and the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, under Prof. Roy Holzman, highlights their vulnerability due to poor swimming abilities and dependence on fragile coastal ecosystems such as seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangroves.

Ela explains that seahorses employ a remarkable feeding mechanism called LaMSA, where elastic tissues store energy that is rapidly released to snap their heads upward and suck in prey with extraordinary speed, far surpassing muscle power alone. Additionally, male seahorses uniquely carry fertilized eggs in a brood pouch until the young are released.

Climate change poses multiple threats to seahorses. Rising sea temperatures affect metabolism, feeding, and reproduction, while ocean acidification leads to reduced activity and respiration. Habitat degradation from warming, acidification, storms, and pollution further endangers them. Their limited mobility and reliance on specific structures make migration to new habitats difficult, increasing their risk.

Conservation efforts focus on protecting coastal habitats and reducing marine plastic pollution, which harms seahorses and their ecosystems. Public actions such as minimizing single-use plastics, cleaning beaches, and avoiding disturbance of seahorses in the wild are encouraged.

Ela’s research combines CT scans and high-speed video of captive seahorses to study their feeding mechanics without impacting wild populations. She notes ongoing questions about the evolutionary trade-offs in their feeding system and how they will adapt to rapid environmental changes remain to be answered.