Animals

How male seahorses tap into their mothering side

A male hormone sparks the changes needed to grow a brood pouch and nurture the young

Baby seahorses emerge from an opening in the yellow brood pouch of a male seahorse, which is mostly a mottled brown and white and using its tail to anchor itself to a piece of seaweed.

This male Korean seahorse (Hippocampus haema) is giving birth, releasing its young from its brood pouch.

Jinggong Zhang

By Elizabeth Pennisi

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