The Curious World of Seahorses: The Life and Lore of a Marine Marvel

Science journalist Hein debuts with an enlightening deep dive on the behavior and physiology of seahorses. Their unusual anatomy makes them “real freaks,” Hein writes, explaining that the fish have a “body with a pouch like a kangaroo, independently moving eyes like a chameleon, a long snout like an anteater, as well as a prehensile tail like a monkey—complete with a crown on its head as unique as a human fingerprint.” Though it’s common knowledge male seahorses carry embryos to term, Hein shares some lesser-known facts about the process, noting that males also transfer symbiotic bacteria from their bodies to the embryos to strengthen their immune systems, in addition to allowing seawater into their pouches shortly before giving birth to help the offspring acclimate to the ocean. The author highlights the diversity of seahorse species, observing that long-snouted seahorses can live up to 12 years while dwarf seahorses expire after one, but “reach sexual maturity before the age of three months; thus three generations of the species can be born in a single year.” The beguiling trivia emphasizes the strangeness of the creatures, though Hein never quite escapes the shadow of Helen Scales’s similar volume on seahorses, Poseidon’s Steed, which he cites liberally. Still, it’s a diverting look at an aquatic wonder. (Oct.)