Broadnosed Pipefish - Georgia

Syngnathus typhle - The broadnosed pipefish is found from the Eastern Atlantic to the Sea of Azov and from the British Isles to Morocco. It prefers shallow waters along reef areas. The pipefish ranges from 15 to 20 centimeters in size. It feeds on plankton while hanging in a vertical position to blend in with the grasses and seaweeds. The female deposits a clutch of approximately 20 eggs into the male’s brood pouch. The male fertilizes these eggs and cares for the young when they hatch.

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Bagat III founded the Kingdom of Georgia in 975; the state flourished until 1490. During its “Golden Age,” the kingdom stretched from the Northern Caucasus Mountains to Iran and from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The kingdom fell under foreign domination during the Mongol invasion beginning in 1220. By the 1340’s, the Kingdom of Georgia was able to re-establish its sovereignty, but another Mongol invasion in 1396 pushed the kingdom into extended anarchy and complete collapse.

Short-snouted Seahorse - Canary Islands

Teide volcano is located on Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Archipelago. It is also the tallest mountain in Spain and 3rd tallest in Europe. The last known eruption occurred in 1909. Teide is part of a United Nations study program designed to monitor several volcanoes in close proximity to high population centers.

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Hippocampus hippocampus - The short-snouted seahorse is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the North Atlantic to as far south as Senegal. Sea horses prefer shallow coastal waters and estuaries with seasonal migrations into deeper waters. Seaweeds and grasses provide shelter and points of ambush. The sea horse will lie in wait for unsuspecting plankton and smaller crustaceans to pass by. Breeding takes place from April to October with multiple birthing cycles; gestation periods last only one month.

Leafy Sea Dragon - South Australia

The Mannum-Adelaide pipeline was constructed from 1949 to 1955 for the purpose of delivering water from the Murray River to Adelaide. The Murray rises in the Australian Alps, an area sandwiched between New South Wales and Victoria. The Murray has a length of 2,500 kilometers and empties into South Australian’s Lake Alexandrina. 

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Phycoduras eques - The leafy sea dragon belongs to the syngnathidae family; seahorses, pipefish, and pipe horses. The leafy sea dragon is best known for the long skin filaments hanging off their head and body. The filaments resemble brown seaweed and provides the perfect camouflage for the seahorse as it feeds in the clumps of seaweed, a habitat the animal spends its entire life in. During reproduction, the female deposits about 200 eggs onto the male’s tail. The eggs are assembled into a brood patch and begin to hatch after 9 weeks.