What Is A Sea Horse

What is a Sea Horse? Even though the sea horse is a fish, it doesn’t look like a fish. It has a head shaped like a pony. Instead of scales, the body of a sea horse is encased in rigid plates and thorny spikes. And its tail is like a snake’s! The sea horse doesn’t even behave like other fish. It usually curls its tail around a bit of seaweed in the water so that it won’t be swept away by the current. When it does swim, it moves about with the help of a single fin on its back, and it moves upright through the water. The mouth of a sea horse is a pipe-like tube through which it sucks in its food. Unlike other fish, it has a distinct neck and a movable horse-liked head. Perhaps the most peculiar thing about sea horse is the way they care for their young. The female fish, when she lays her eggs, puts them into the brood pouch like a pocket beneath the tail of the male. So the father, instead of the mother, carries the eggs about until they hatch. Even after the young hatch out, they remain in the father’s pouch for a time until they are able to take care of themselves. Sea horses can be found in nearly all the warm and temperate seas. They eat small sea creatures and the eggs of other fishes. A sea horse never eats a dead thing. There are about 50 different kinds of species of sea horses. Their sizes may range from 5 to 30 centimeters. Sea horses are seen only in the summer and they are known as summer fishes. Nobody knows what happens to them in the winter! Another strange thing is that other fishes in the sea don’t like to eat or attack sea horses!

1. If the sea horse does not curl its tail around a seaweed in the water, ………………. a b c d

it may not be able to eat its food it will be moved violently by the current its neck will not be able to move its eggs may move along the current

2. The head of the sea horse …….. a b c d

moves with the help of a fin on its back is covered with scales can suck in its food looks like a horse

3. The male sea horse ……… a b c d

carries the eggs for the female lays the eggs in the brood pouch never eats the eggs of other fishes is not seen in the summer

4. The size of the smallest sea horse is ………. a b c d

5 centimeters 10 centimeters 20 centimeters 30 centimeters

5. Sea horses are known as summer fishes probably because ………. a b c d

no one knows what they do in the winter they are found only in the warm seas they are seen only in the summer they are never eaten or attacked by other fishes

6. “….they remain in the father’s pouch for a time until they are able to take care of themselves.” The underlined word refers to….. a the female sea horses b the young sea horses c the male sea horses d the eggs of the sea horse 7. “Perhaps the most peculiar thing about sea horses is the way they care…” The underlined word means …….. a b c d

difficult terrible common strange

8. “Sea horses can be found in nearly all the warm and temperate seas.” The underlined word means ……… a b c d

not extremly hot or cold extremly cold very deep very rough