Beautiful Nature: Pygmy Seahorses

I've been mildly obsessed with seahorses since I was a little kid. Growing up in southwest Florida, I found dried, shellacked seahorses in gift shops (I know, ick). Snorkeling in the Gulf of Mexico, I came across dwarf seahorses, little creatures that seemed impossibly elegant and awkward at the same time. I also learned how incredibly hard it was to keep seahorses (especially small ones) happy in captivity.

In this video from KQED's Deep Look, we see what happens when biologists at the California Academy of Sciences breed pygmy seahorses (these are seriously tiny!) for the first time in captivity. It's a fascinating look at biology, adaptation, and the beauty of nature. Enjoy this full-screen—and if you have a high-resolution monitor, note that this video goes all the way to 4K:

And here's some more about the challenges of collecting and keeping such tiny animals in captivity (adults are the size of a thumbnail!):

For more on pygmy seahorses, KQED has a great blog post. For a bunch of videos of male seahorses giving birth, we've got you covered.

(Via the ever-awesome The Kid Should See This.)