What do animals mean? Toad for money, elephant for good luck: choose a totem animal for the house

A message about a seahorse can be used in preparation for the lesson. The story about seahorse for children can be supplemented by interesting facts.

Seahorse Report

Seahorses belong to the class of bone fish. In total there are about 50 species. The sizes of seahorses can be from 2 to 30 cm, depending on the species. An ordinary seahorse can live 5 years.

Their body shape is similar to a chess piece of a horse. Numerous long spikes and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths located on the body of the ridge make it invisible among algae and inaccessible to predators.

The habitat of seahorses is tropical and subtropical seas.

Seahorse Description

The head of these fish looks like a horse, but there are no scales. Their body is covered with hard bone plates. The curved tail of the seahorse in a monkey clings to the stems of sea grass. The eyes of the seahorse rotate in any direction, and if one eye looks to the right, the other at this time can stare at something on the left. This is very convenient for the skate, since he can simultaneously examine the algae from all sides in search of food and watch out for enemies who themselves would not mind having them dine.

She does not like to swim a seahorse and spends most of her life clinging to seaweed with her tail. Swims slowly and only in search of food, during the wedding and fleeing enemies.

It is interesting to watch a seahorse swim. A large swim bladder located in the head of the ridge helps him maintain an upright position. It does not move horizontally, but jerks up and down, moving diagonally in the direction of the target.

What do seahorses eat?

Seahorses lead a benthic lifestyle, feed on plankton and small invertebrates.

Breeding seahorses

Also, these animals have an unusual way of reproduction. When the eggs reach the desired stage, the females begin to compete with each other for male attention. The female who has achieved the location lays part of the caviar in a special bag, which is located on the male’s stomach. There, the caviar is fertilized. The male carries eggs until the calves appear. There can be from 2 to 1000 individuals. If many cubs are born, their father may even die. In the breeding season, fry hatch every 4 weeks. Immediately after birth, they are left to their own devices.

Interesting facts about seahorses

• The skate is very bony, so only a large land crab preys on it, which can digest it.
• The eyes of seahorses are like the eyes of chameleons and can move independently of each other;
• Seahorse is a master of disguise. Their scales can become "invisible" - merge with the environment;
• Their mouth works like a vacuum cleaner - they suck in plankton to eat.

We hope the above information about the seahorse helped you. And you can leave your report about the seahorse through the comment form.

Seahorse is a genus of small marine bony fishes of the family of marine needles of the order needle-shaped. The number of species of seahorses amounts to about 50. The unusual shape of the body of the ridge resembles a chess piece of a horse. Numerous long spikes and ribbon-like leathery outgrowths located on the body of the ridge make it invisible among algae and inaccessible to predators. The sizes of seahorses are from 2 to 30 cm, depending on the species to which a particular individual belongs. An interesting feature of a seahorse is that the male carries their offspring.

The taxonomy of the seahorse is very confusing due to the unique ability of these fish to change their appearance - color and even body shape. The closest relatives of seahorses are small fish - sea needles, which have much in common in the structure of the body with horses. However, the shape of the body and the manner of movement in the water of sea "horses" are completely unusual.

The body of seahorses in water is not traditional for fish - vertically or diagonally. The reason for this is a relatively large swim bladder, most of which is located in the upper body of the seahorse. It is impossible to confuse these graceful and colorful fish, similar to jewelry or toys, with any inhabitant of the water element.

The body of a seahorse is not covered with scales, but with bone plates. Barbed armor protects them from danger. The armor is so strong that it is almost impossible to break even in a dead dead stomach. However, in his shell he is so light and fast that he literally soars in water, and his body shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow - from orange to gray-blue, from lemon yellow to fiery red. In terms of brightness, it is just right to compare this fish with tropical birds and brightly colored coral reef fish.

These fish inhabit the seas of the tropical and subtropical zones. Their range encircles the entire globe. Seahorses live in shallow water among thickets of seaweed or among corals. These are sedentary and generally very inactive fish. Typically, seahorses wrap their tail with a twig of coral or a bundle of sea grass and spend most of their time in this position. But large sea dragons cannot attach to vegetation. For short distances they swim holding the body vertically, if they have to leave the "house", then they can swim in an almost horizontal position. They swim slowly. In general, the nature of these fish is surprisingly calm and meek; seahorses do not show aggression towards their fellow tribesmen and other fish.

They feed on plankton. They track down the smallest crustaceans, funny turning eyes. As soon as the victim approaches the miniature hunter, the seahorse swells its cheeks, creating negative pressure in the oral cavity and sucks the crustacean like a vacuum cleaner. Despite their small size, skates are big lovers of food and can indulge in gluttony up to 10 hours a day.

Seahorses have only three small fins: the dorsal helps to swim forward, and two branchial fins maintain vertical balance and serve as a rudder.

In a minute of danger, seahorses can significantly accelerate movement by flapping fins up to 35 times per second (some scientists even call the number 70). Masterfully they succeed in vertical maneuvers. By changing the volume of the swim bladder, these fish move up and down in a spiral. Nevertheless, seahorses are not capable of swimming swiftly - they are considered the record holders for the slowness of swimming among famous fish. Most of the time, a seahorse hangs motionless in the water, with its tail catching on an algae, coral, or even a relative of a congener.

Skates can move "riding" on fish. Thanks to its curved tail, seahorses can travel long distances. They grab onto the fins of the perch and hold on until the fish swims in the thickets of algae. And skates grab their pair with their tail and swim in an embrace.

The eyes of the seahorses are large, the vision is pretty sharp. Their tail is bent by a hook to the stomach, and horns of various shapes adorn their heads.

The eyes of the skates move independently of one another. The organ of vision of a seahorse is similar to the eyes of a chameleon. One eye of these fish can look forward, and the second - to see what is happening behind.

Seahorses have the ability to change the color of their bodies, which allows them to skillfully disguise themselves in thickets and among the bottom landscape. A lurking seahorse is almost impossible to see in an ambush unless you look very closely. The ability to camouflage is necessary for seahorses both for protection and for successful hunting, because they belong to active predators.

In the seas washing the coast of Russia, seahorses are represented by only two or three species - the Black Sea seahorse: found in the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the Japanese seahorse living in the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan. Occasionally, in the Black Sea, one can meet the long-mouthed seahorse, common in the seas of the Mediterranean basin. For permanent residence, seahorses choose quieter places; they don’t like the rough current and noisy tidal waves.

Seahorses are monogamous fish, they live in married couples, but periodically can change partners. It is characteristic that these fish hatched eggs, with males and females changing roles. In the mating season, a female ovipositor grows in females, and in the male, thickened folds in the tail area form a bag. Before spawning, partners perform a long mating dance.

The female lays eggs in the male’s bag and he carries them for about 2 weeks. Newborn fry come out of the bag through a narrow hole. Sea dragons have no bags and spawn on the stem of the tail. Fertility of different species ranges from 5 to 1500 fry. Newborn fish are completely independent and move away from the parental pair.

Among seahorses there are also very small representatives, the size of a couple of centimeters, there are also some kind of giants up to 30 centimeters long. The smallest species is the dwarf seahorse, found in the Gulf of Mexico. Its length does not exceed four centimeters. In the Black and Mediterranean Seas, one can meet a long-faced or spotted seahorse, whose length reaches 12-18 centimeters. The most famous representatives of the species Hippocampus kuda, which lives off the coast of Indonesia. Seahorses of this species, their length is about 14 centimeters, are brightly and colorful, some are speckled, others are striped. The largest seahorses are found near Australia.

The life expectancy of seahorses is on average 3-4 years. The extreme survivability of these fish is known - when extracted from the water, they can live for several hours and return to normal if released into their native element.

Seahorses have few natural enemies - his body is extremely bony and covered with bone formations. Therefore, only a large land crab preys on it, which is able to digest such hard-to-digest prey. For humans, seahorses are not dangerous. This is a peaceful innocuous fish, also very small.

A great danger to seahorses is man himself. Today, seahorses are on the verge of extinction - their livestock is rapidly declining. The Red Book contains 30 species of 32 seahorses known to science. There are many reasons for this, and one of them is the massive capture of skates off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines. The exotic appearance of the fish doomed them to the fact that people use them as souvenirs and gifts.

A separate point in reducing the population of seahorses is the fact that the taste of these fish is extremely appreciated by gourmets. The liver and caviar of seahorses are considered a delicacy, although they have some laxative properties. Seahorses in some restaurants cost up to $ 800 per serving.

A huge number of seahorses (according to some estimates - up to 80 million skates per year) are used in the countries of the Pacific region of Asia and Australia for the production of medicines and potions. These drugs are used as painkillers for cough and asthma, and also as a remedy for impotence. In recent years, this Far Eastern "Viagra" has become popular in Europe. People have known about the healing properties of meat of seahorses since ancient times. Seahorses have been used for the preparation of various medicines and potions in many countries.

It’s not very easy to keep seahorses in aquariums; they are demanding on food and susceptible to diseases, but it’s very interesting to watch them.

Seahorses can sing. During the mating season, they perform peculiar dances around their partners and partners and accompany themselves with clicking sounds, the pace of which can change.

Based on anatomical, molecular and genetic studies, it was revealed that the seahorse is a highly altered needle fish. Petrified remains of seahorses are quite rare. The fossils of the species Hippocampus guttulatus (synonymous with H. ramulosus) from the formations of the Marecchia river (Italian province of Rimini) are the most studied. These findings are dated to the Lower Pliocene (about 3 million years ago). The earliest fossils of seahorses are considered to be two Midiocene needle-like species Hippocampus sarmaticus and Hippocampus slovenicus found in Slovenia. Their age is estimated at 13 million years. According to the molecular clock method, the species of seahorses and needle fish were divided in the Late Oligocene. There is a theory that this genus appeared in response to the emergence of large areas of shallow water, which was caused by tectonic events. The appearance of extensive shallows led to the spread of algae, and, as a result, animals living in this environment.

Not a crucian, not a perch,
It has a long neck
Who is he? Guess it soon!
Well, of course, the skate!

Seahorse (from Latin Hippocampus) is a small, attractive, sea-fish of unusual shape from the genus of bony fishes (family of sea needles) of the needle-shaped order. Looking at this fish, I immediately remember the chess piece of the horse. A long neck is a distinctive feature of the skate. If you disassemble the skate in parts of the body, then its head resembles a horse’s one, its tail resembles a monkey, its eyes are from a chameleon, and its external integument resembles that of an insect. The unusual structure of the ponytail allows the skate to cling to algae and corals and hide in them, feeling the danger. The ability to mimic (mask) makes the seahorse virtually invulnerable. The seahorse feeds on plankton. Young skates are quite voracious and can eat 10 hours in a row, eating up to three thousand crustaceans and shrimps. The vertical location of the seahorse relative to the water is its distinguishing feature.

Interestingly, the seahorse is a caring father and faithful spouse. The heavy burden of motherhood falls on the shoulders of the male. Seahorse independently carries the cub in a special bag, which is located in the lower part of the abdomen of the ridge. It is there that during mating, the female introduces caviar. If the female dies, the male remains faithful to the partner for a long time and vice versa, if the male dies, the female remains faithful to the male for up to 4 weeks.

Dimensions

The size of a seahorse varies from two to three centimeters to 30. Thirty centimeters is the size of a giant representative of a seahorse. The average size is 10 or 12 centimeters. The smallest representatives - dwarf seahorses have about 13 or even 3 millimeters. With a size of 13 centimeters, the weight of a seahorse is about 10 grams.

A few more photos with seahorses.

Animals have always played a huge role in people's lives. They threatened man as enemies and became his best friends. They provided food, guarded, protected from dangers and cold, helped to live and work. Therefore, the images of animals in culture and art appeared very early, back in those days when the oldest tribes led a difficult existence in caves.

Well-known cave paintings by ancient artists appeared on the walls of improvised natural dwellings, which depicted various animals and related life scenes. Such paintings were primarily ritual in nature.

It follows from this that the images of animals acquired their mystical significance back in those days when a person was directly dependent on nature, did not separate himself from it. The tribes of collectors and hunters of the Stone Age even in the early Paleolithic considered animals as their ancestors, composed legends about the unusual properties of certain animals. They believed in their wonderful influence on their own lives.

Tribal totems later began to appear,  which contained sacred symbolic and religious meaning. For example, the ancient Ainu considered such a totem a bear, which, in their opinion, was the progenitor of people and taught them a lot. North American Indians each led from wild animals and birds (bison, jaguars, wolves, ravens, etc.) which, according to legend, gave each new member of the clan family a magical piece of their spirit.

Usually people deified animals that inspire special respect or fear, as well as greatly affect the well-being of people.  For example, hunters made their totems strong and ferocious animals or those who were considered endowed with wisdom, dexterity, the ability to survive. Herders saw mystical properties in cows and bulls, deer, horses, sheep, goats. Representatives of agricultural crops - in draft cattle.

When the culture became more complicated, and man finally distinguished himself from nature and felt that he was the crown of creation, his gods also changed. Outwardly, they became like himself. But even in these later beliefs, the twins of the humanoid gods continued to be animals. So, the totems of ancient Greek Zeus were a bull, an eagle and a swan, Egyptian Horus - a falcon, Indian Ganesha - an elephant, Slavic Veles - a snake and a wolf, and so on. Especially interesting in ancient mythologies are images of animals that were considered equally closely related to the upper and lower worlds.

Especially interesting in ancient mythologies are images of animals that were considered equally closely related to the upper and lower worlds.

Horse

In the world mythological tradition, it is described very ambiguously and is equally often associated with both life and death, both with light and dark forces.  The horse is found in folklore and religions of most peoples. After all, the importance of this animal in human culture cannot be overestimated. Horses helped people quickly overcome distances, were draft power, used in agriculture and military affairs, gave meat, milk, horse hair and skin.

In legends and myths, they are also endowed with many diverse properties and functions. Horses have traditionally been associated with fertility and fertility, magic and witchcraft, clairvoyance, industriousness and endurance, intelligence and wisdom, victory and heroism. Moreover, they were identified with lust, stupidity and obstinacy, death and cruelty, timidity, selfishness.

The horse was often a cosmic solar symbol, since it was believed that the sun is a heavenly fiery steed. Therefore, he becomes the animal of such gods as Helios, Mithra, Ra. At the same time, he is a lunar, night creature of the gods of Poseidon, Isis, Diana. As a fiery creature, he is associated with the Vedic Agni. The Chinese saw him as the personification of heaven.

Ancient sources mention horses very often.  First of all, they were totems of many gods. The sea lords were associated with the horse - Poseidon (Neptune) and his wife Andromeda, who had whole underwater herds of these animals and themselves willingly turned into them. They gave horses to people, therefore they are called “donors of horses”. On a chariot drawn by water horses, the ancient titan Ocean himself arrived at Olympus.

Fiery Helios - the sun itself - rode out on a chariot to the sky every day, and gave people light. The immortal centaur Chiron brought wisdom to the world, and the winged horse Pegasus inspired it. However, the black horses belonged to another brother of Zeus - the gloomy Hades and, accordingly, were called hellish. The cannibalistic horses of the Thracian king Diomedes caused a lot of grief until Heracles destroyed them all. Pegasus was also the one who killed the great hero of Greece Bellerophon, the destroyer of the terrible monster Chimera.

The magnificent Celtic riders loved and appreciated the horses very much.  In their mythology, many gods are associated with these animals: Epon (she was called the mare goddess and the Great Horse), the sorceress Mebd and the Ulster Mach.

In Gaul, the Celts worshiped Diana the Fertile, whose symbol the mare was. The Celtic Druids represented the sun in the form of a young stallion galloping across the sky. But at the same time the Celtic horse was also a sign of death. It was believed that she escorts the dead to the world of the dead: she is a carrier of souls and an obligatory participant in funeral cults.

The Christian symbolic interpretation of the horse develops the established traditions.  Perhaps the most famous examples are the biblical horses of George the Victorious and the horsemen of the Apocalypse. On the icons and other picturesque images, George, piercing the serpent with a spear, is written sitting on a white or fiery horse. The white color of the horse in beliefs has always been associated with everything otherworldly and with purity. Only white horses were sacrificed to the gods in Hellas and Rome. Bright gods rode on snow-white horses.

The white horse of George is a symbol of divine light and the Christian faith. The fiery color is associated with the initial mythological status of the horse as an animal belonging to the elements of fire and the sun. Riders of the Apocalypse ride the world on horses of different colors: white (the rider carries different epidemics into the world), red (the rider represents war), black (hunger) and pale (death). Here, white is the traditional color of the otherworldly horse, red is the color of rage and blood, black is hell, and the horse is pale (that is, translucent, similar to a shadow) has the signs of an infernal being. If the horse of George represents the power of good, then the horses of the Apocalypse are a product of the power of the Antichrist.

In world folklore, the image of a horse is very common.Heroic poems of all nations tell of the great brave men who were helped by worthy horses. For example, horses of Russian heroes are examples of extraordinary devotion and stamina. They help their masters to accomplish great feats. In fairy tales, magic horses (Sivka-Burka, The Little Humpbacked Horse, etc.) often give heroes the opportunity to achieve the almost impossible: to catch the Firebird, get young apples, find Living and Dead Water, and, of course, steal the beautiful princess.

The most complex and diverse image of a horse is presented in ancient, Celtic and Christian cultures.

In medieval culture, the image of a horse is also associated with the romantic idea of \u200b\u200bchivalry and the mystical phenomenon of a unicorn.

In the knightly tradition, the horse symbolizes nobility and sublime thoughts.

A unicorn is a sign of wisdom, miracle and purity.

Another example of a complex mythological image of an animal is a cat.

Cats and cats were considered sacred beings among different nations.  This wild and freedom-loving predatory beast was tamed by man relatively late. Most of all, it was appreciated by agricultural ethnic groups, because thanks to cats, it was possible to protect the harvest from rodents. The ancient sailors (for example, the Phoenicians), who always kept tailed rat traps on ships, so as not to lose their food supplies on long voyages, were also fond of cats.

In almost all traditions, cats have been associated with cunning, ability to transform, clairvoyance, quick wit, attentiveness, sensual beauty and female treachery. They symbolized both strength, bliss and grace, and were associated simultaneously with luck and misfortune.

For most peoples, the image of a cat was mystified.  This was most pronounced in ancient Egypt. One of the revered Egyptian goddesses was Bastet (Bast), which was presented in the form of a black cat or woman with a cat's head. A huge number of sacred cats lived in her central temple in Bubastis. After death, they were mummified and buried in a special cemetery in sarcophagi.

Simple pets the Egyptians also loved and revered, because the cat was considered a defender against disease and evil forces, the bearer of good and good luck, it provided fertility and the birth of healthy children. After the death of the cat, its owners shaved their eyebrows and sank into mourning. The body of the animal was mummified and buried in a box along with favorite things and mummies of mice. Some of these found boxes were even decorated with gold and precious stones. If anyone even accidentally killed a cat, he was sentenced to death.

Other peoples of antiquity also regarded cats as special, divine beings.

In Scandinavia, it was believed that the goddess of love and beauty Freya  rides a chariot drawn by cats.

Ancient Roman Goddess of Liberty Libertas  portrayed next to a lying cat, in addition, cats in Rome were considered domestic guardian geniuses.

In Tibet and India, cats were revered as prophetic animals capable of predicting the future.

For example, the Rooster symbol is the Rooster,   One of the symbols of Rome is the Capitoline Wolf. Her bronze sculpture has been standing in the city since ancient times. It is believed that it was she who fed the milk of two babies - Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city.
   The statue of a wolf stands in Tambov. Residents of the city are proud of their symbol and even set up the Wolf Museum in Tambov. Since the 16th century, the wolf has been a symbol of the Belarusian city of Volkovysk in the Grodno region.
  The symbol of the German city of Kaal am Main is the hare. It was precisely after seeing hares jumping out of the bushes that people decided to establish a settlement on this place. They were even nicknamed the "Kaal sand hares." The bear is a symbol of Berlin and the Swiss capital, Bern.
   The name “Bern” comes from the word “bear”.    In Russia, the bear is a symbol of Yaroslavl. In Madrid:
  The fox is a symbol of the Ukrainian Lysychansk and flaunts on its coat of arms. There is a place in the city called Fox Beam.
  Symbol of Krasnoyarsk: The historical symbol of Jerusalem is the lion. The fact is that the lion is a symbol of the tribe of Yehud, from which King David, the founder of Jerusalem, descends.

   The symbol of Singapore is also a lion. But not ordinary, but mythical. In appearance it is a creature with the body of a fish and the head of a lion. The symbol of the small Russian town of Myshkin is, of course, the Mouse. Here is the world's only mouse museum, which the Japanese dearly love.
One of the symbols of the city of Losino-Petrovsky near Moscow is the moose depicted on the coat of arms of the city. The moose's head recalls the factory founded by Peter the Great Losin, which supplied the army with leather ammunition and uniforms. Oryol - a symbol of the cities of Oryol and Pyatigorsk. Pyatigorsk   Eagle
  Moreover: the image of the eagle is an official symbol of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. The eagle is also a symbol of Mexico. According to the Aztec legend, the city of Tenochtitlan (aka Mexico City) was founded in the place indicated by the Eagle. Who is the symbol of the Slovak city of Komarno? The name speaks for itself. Of course, a mosquito. A monument was erected to him in the city. The symbol of the industrial Ural Chelyabinsk is ... a camel. In the "Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire" for 1830, the following explanation was given: "A loaded camel as a sign that they are being brought to this city with goods." Chelyabinsk used to be exactly on the Silk Road.
  Tiger symbol of Oslo city:
  Goat is a symbol of the city of Tver. In Tver, this animal enjoys well-deserved respect - after all, back in the XIII century, production of products from goat hides began here. And until the XVIII century, Tver was the largest and almost the only Russian supplier of products from goat hides. In Chita, the symbol of the city Deer Symbol of Nima crocodile Symbol of the city of Batumi dolphin Symbol of the city of Dijon owl   Symbol of the city of Catania elephant Symbol of the city of Bobruisk beaver   Residents of the town of Beaver ("Beaver") in Oklahoma as a symbol of the city chose a beaver holding ... a cow "cake." And there is such a beaver right in the center of the city. When city residents are asked, why is a beaver holding a cow’s flat cake? Residents respond with a smile, and take a walk on our streets for a couple of minutes and ... you will understand! The inscription above says: "Welcome to Beaver, the capital of Oklahoma's cow cakes. The symbol of the city of Ulm, a sparrow, once, according to legend, helped the builders of the city. According to legend, the unlucky builders first erected a gate to the city, then it became unclear how but to carry logs through them for construction? While they wondered, one noticed that a smart sparrow bird carries straws sideways and not across. Builders also began to carry logs into the gates not sideways but sideways, and the city of Ulm was built!   In Boston, USA, city residents erected a monument to this bird in the main park in gratitude for the fact that sparrows helped to cope with the pest invasion, when the fields destroyed by the caterpillars threatened people with hunger. Brontosaurus - a symbol of Sac