Thursday, 12 December 2024

13 December: Seahorses

Today is the National day of the Seahorse. 10 things you might not know about seahorses:

  1. Seahorses belong to the Family Syngnathidae which also includes seadragons and pipefish. The genus is Hippocampus, which translates to something like ‘Horse animal’. The word Hippocampus is also used for the human Brain.

  2. It may be that seahorses evolved from pipefish. Tectonic changes in the earth, resulted in shallower waters in which sea grasses could grow. Sea grasses grow upwards to reach the light of the Sun, so the seahorse’s vertical posture could be an adaptation to living in this environment.

  3. Although they are fish, they don’t swim all that well. In fact, the dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) holds the title of being the slowest fish in the sea. Seahorses use their dorsal fin to move through the Water. To move up and down, they adjust the volume of air in a tiny pocket inside their body, called a ‘swim bladder’.

  4. They don’t have teeth or stomachs. Food passes through them very quickly and so they have to eat at least 30 meals a day to absorb enough nutrients.

  5. They catch their prey by ambush. Not only can they hide in weeds and grasses, they can also change colour to match their surroundings. When an unsuspecting prey animal such as small shrimps, pass by, the seahorse uses its tube-like mouth to suck it in.

  6. Seahorse mates may stay together for several years. They have even been observed linking tails which could be their equivalent of holding hands.

  7. Now for the one everyone knows – the males give birth. The females produce the eggs, and need time to recover after each batch. The female seahorse injects the eggs into the male’s brood pouch, which is a bit like the pouch of a Kangaroo, and he incubates up to 2,000 eggs and fry for up to 45 days and then ejects them. The baby seahorses are then left to look after themselves. He is immediately ready for another batch of eggs and his mate has had time to recover from the last lot and produce more. Hence it’s the most efficient way for them to reproduce.

  8. Satomi’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae) is the smallest species of seahorse at just 14mm long.

  9. Their eyes work independently of each other so they can look backwards and forwards at the same time.

  10. Two species of seahorse can be found in coastal waters off the UK and Ireland – the Spiny Seahorse and the Short Snouted Seahorse.


A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

Themes 
Christmas; superheroes; reunions; parties; life choices; shocking surprises; mistaken identity; kidnap and rescue.

Reasons not to read it

  • It's a bit short. You could probably read it in one sitting.
  • Most of the action takes place at a Christmas party. In a palace.
  • It's all about Christmas but there doesn't seem to be a schmaltzy moral message.
  • There are a couple of babies and some small children in it - and one nearly gets eaten.
  • Santa appears in it, but he isn't really Santa.
  • Superheroes. Again.
  • Not to mention a whole bunch of super-villains. Again all new ones and not the ones we know from Marvel or DC.

Available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle


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