Ernst: Breeding tiny sea horses at Mote

Facts SEA HORSES

Life span: Up to 4 years in mostly shallow tropical and temperate waters around the world

Size: 35 different species range from 0.6 inches to 14 inches.

Diet: Carnivorous, filtering up to 3,000 brine shrimp and krill per day

Range in wild: About 40 meters; they move via their tails, which can flutter 35 times per second

Cost: Mote sells pygmy and lined sea horses for $50 to $60. Rarer species, such as the sea dragons from Australian waters, can go for $6,000 to $10,000.

Source: Mote Marine, nationalgeographic.com

Only now, he works with slightly smaller species — Hippocampus zosterae or Hippocampus erectus, more commonly known as sea horses.

In two years since it began, Garner's horse breeding program at Mote Marine Laboratory has become so successful that the lab has been selling an increasing number of sea horses to aquariums and zoos around the country, 52 at last count.

Not only does the sea horse breeding and sales program subsidize Mote's aquarium, but they set a good example for part of what the lab preaches: conserving natural resources. Zoos that buy Mote's stock do not have to harvest from the ocean.

That is significant because about 25 million sea horses are plucked from the wild each year for display, for use in medicine and for food, the lab reports.

Sea horses have always been one of Mote's most popular aquarium attractions, exhibit manager Mike Collins says. When the lab decided to expand the sea horse section, Garner was a natural fit.

He put himself through Ball State University in Indiana by raising and selling coral, which demands the same attention to detail required in sea horse breeding.

Garner has to eliminate diseases, reduce stress and keep the tanks clean. The latter is harder than one might imagine. Sea horses have no stomachs, so they have to eat constantly. And what goes in has to come out in some form. Well, you get the murky picture.

"They're difficult to keep, and we're trained biologists," Garner says.

In the wild, 1 in 1,000 sea horses might live to maturity. Garner has had success rates of 90 percent and greater.

He also shares the public's fascination with sea horses, which are classified as fish. Many Mote visitors think sea horses are mythical creatures along the line of unicorns. The display entrances them.

"I like to say they have the head of a horse, the pouch of a kangaroo and the tail of a monkey," Garner says with a laugh. They also can change the color of their eyes and skin like a chameleon, he says.

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Ernst: Breeding tiny sea horses at Mote

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How Horses Communicate | Your Resource for Horse Information

Find Out How To Save Marriage

Are you worried about the state of your marriage? Has the love seemed to disappear from your relationship? Could you and your mate be arguing all the time, followed by bouts of just ignoring one another? If you want to find out how to save marriage, read on. It all begins with the first step: your desire to improve your relationship.

A healthy marriage is one that is rich in communication. Being open and honest with your partner about things will help end the misunderstandings that lead to arguments. Make sure you talk to each other. Tell your partner how you feel about certain things that happen, what goes on in your daily life, and anything at all that is bothering you. They don’t know everything unless you tell them, so a good line of calm communication can put a halt to some of those fights.

Deal with the issue when problems come up. Don’t let them sit and grow into something bigger, or you will be hurting yourself and your partner in the long run. Get with your mate, sit down, and attend to the problem. Let them know what is bothering you. Be forthcoming and clam, and try to work it out as a team.

Have you spent any quality time together recently? Having fun together and taking the time out for each other is critical to a healthy marriage. Get closer to your spouse by spending an evening playing games together, having a day at the beach, or even a walk in the park. Make the time for your spouse and you will notice a great improvement in your relationship.

Many marriage problems come from a lack of affection and romance. Both spouses need love and physical contact. Romance your loved one! Cuddle up on the couch together for a movie one night each week. Give them surprise gifts and let them know you love them. Spend the time to seduce each other in the bedroom instead of just loveless intercourse. Maybe you could even just try new things in bed, such as a different position.

Take a vacation! Many times, when a marriage seems strained and in trouble, it is due to stress. Escape the headaches of your daily working life and go unwind with your spouse. Go on a cruise, spend a few days in a cabin in the mountains, or visit a city you’ve both wanted to see. The key is to decompress. Relaxing together is a great way to get closer and bring back some affectionate feelings.

These ideas are a great starting point if you want to learn how to save marriage. Try to stay open, relaxed, and loving with your partner. Let the little things they do go and just enjoy your time together for a successful marriage!


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Pauline Marshall Stimulus #1.Study shrimp on a treadmill...Investigate pig smell in IOWA..Turtle bridge in Fla..How wild horses mate?? C'mon..


Ian Vanderloo @ How's it going Youngsie? What horses do you fancy today mate?


Craig Bennett RT @: My mate is round my house trying to tell me how to back horses, I said how much money is in his pockets he said none well there u go then!!


Neil Verkamp RT @: My mate is round my house trying to tell me how to back horses, I said how much money is in his pockets he said none well there u go then!!


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