Big daddies birth 500 babies in NZ aquarium
25 Jun 2009
An unexpected population explosion has the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre aquarium, on the Otago Peninsula, brimming with activity.
In just two days, two big daddies - from the pot bellied or big bellied seahorse family - have birthed 500 baby seahorses.
Only found in the south west Pacific around New Zealand and Australia, the pot bellied seahorses have what is termed ‘true sex-role reversal’. The female chases the male through a daily courtship ritual that involves dancing around the male and changing colours.
The female seahorse lays about 200 eggs at a time which she deposits in her male partner’s pouch. The male then carries the eggs for two to three weeks until they hatch.
Apart from their unusual sex life, these seahorse pairs are generally monogamous.
Unusual arrivals
Tessa Mills of the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and Otago University said the arrival of the 500 seahorses by two fathers was unusual for this time of year.
"We are putting this down to a warm spell just over a month ago and the abundance of food in the area," said Mills.
The baby seahorses are a mere 6mm in length making them difficult to spot.
Voluntourism
The first birth of 100 babies was discovered by a Canadian ‘volun-tourist’ at the Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium.
Regular volunteer opportunities are available to international visitors who can dedicate several months to the centre.
So far this year, volunteers have come from Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and Canada. More volunteers from the UK and USA are expected in the coming months.
Volunteers feed fish, go out on boats to collect specimens, stay overnight on islands, assist with educational groups, and prepare educational material.
Southern New Zealand marine life
For visitors with less time, the Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium has daily tours and talks.
The centre showcases southern New Zealand marine life such as seahorses, crayfish, octopus, sharks and eels. It is also a window to marine research by Otago University.
Otago Peninsula
The Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium is situated on the Otago Peninsula on New Zealand’s south east coast, near Dunedin.
The Otago Peninsula is rich in coastal wildlife, which includes the rare yellow-eyed penguin, the world’s only mainland albatross breeding colony, little blue penguins, Stewart Island shags, New Zealand sea lions, and fur seals.
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