Seahorses are known for their unique pregnancies in which the male gives birth, but new research suggests that their breeding habits are surprisingly similar to our own.
The findings reveal seahorse fathers perform many of the same nurturing processes as human mothers do, the University of Sydney reported. Previously, what occurred within a seahorse's gestation pouch remained largely a mystery, but this research finally uncovers some of the animal's secrets.
"Seahorse babies get a lot of nutrients via the egg yolk provided by their mothers but the pouch of the fathers has also evolved to meet the complex challenges of providing additional nutrients and immunological protection, and ensuring gas exchange and waste removal," said Camilla Whittington from the University's School of Biological Sciences.
The findings showed seahorses were able to deliver nutrients, such as energy-rich lipids and calcium, to their embryos. It is believed these nutrients are secreted into the brood pouch where they are transferred to the offspring.
The researchers made their findings by taking samples of seahorse brood pouches and watching how gene expression changed over the course of the pregnancy. They discovered male seahorses had similar gene expression during pregnancy to what is seen in pregnant human women. The study is the first to perform RNA sequencing throughout the entire pregnancy of any animal.
"Regardless of your species, pregnancy presents a number of complex challenges, like ensuring you can provide oxygen and nutrients to your embryos. We have evolved independently to meet these challenges, but our research suggests that even distantly related animals use similar genes to manage pregnancy and produce healthy offspring," Whittington said.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.
