Seahorses are one of very few
species where the male 'gives birth'. The female deposits her eggs
in a brood pouch located on her mate's belly. He fertilizes them
internally and carries them until they hatch, which can be anywhere
from 9 to 45 days based on species and water temperature. A single
male may carry hundreds of eggs in his pouch. Baby sea horses are
called fry (singular and plural). Baby big-belly seahorses, aside
from being too small to exhibit their distinct characteristic round
bellies, are exact miniature replicas of their parents.The picture
shows how small a fry is.
When baby seahorses are first born, the fry will gulp air at the
surface to help fill their swim bladder. Their diet is usually live
brine shrimp called Artemia. Seahorses live among coral reefs and
sea grass beds.