Uploaded November 2013 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
Forget Sharknado. The scariest thing to come out of the ocean recently is a video capturing the stealthy advance and attack of a seahorse.
The video came about during research on whether the shape of a seahorse's head changes its hydrodynamic profile (it does). The animal's creeping, shadowy profile hunting unsuspecting potential snacks is the stuff of nightmares.
But the video also demonstrates how the dwarf seahorse Hippocampus zosterae, and other members of its family, advance on prey with minimal water disruption. The shape of its head and its stealthy pre-attack posture allow the seahorse to achieve what the researchers call "hydrodynamic silence," meaning it avoids stirring up the water as it moves, a disturbance that would be detected by its prey.
Read the full story at: discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/seahorses-ninja-style-hunting-techniques-caught-on-video
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Credit: Brad Gemmell, music by Kevin MacLeod
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Forget Sharknado. The scariest thing to come out of the ocean recently is a video capturing the stealthy advance and attack of a seahorse.
The video came about during research on whether the shape of a seahorse's head changes its hydrodynamic profile (it does). The animal's creeping, shadowy profile hunting unsuspecting potential snacks is the stuff of nightmares.
But the video also demonstrates how the dwarf seahorse Hippocampus zosterae, and other members of its family, advance on prey with minimal water disruption. The shape of its head and its stealthy pre-attack posture allow the seahorse to achieve what the researchers call "hydrodynamic silence," meaning it avoids stirring up the water as it moves, a disturbance that would be detected by its prey.
Read the full story at: discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/seahorses-ninja-style-hunting-techniques-caught-on-video
—
Credit: Brad Gemmell, music by Kevin MacLeod
—
ABOUT DISCOVER:
Discover is your source for science that matters, makes sense and is a lot of fun, too.
Visit us at: discovermagazine.com
FOLLOW US:
Facebook: facebook.com/DiscoverMag
Twitter: twitter.com/DiscoverMag
Instagram: instagram.com/discover.magazine
SUPPORT US:
Subscribe to Discover: bit.ly/34seAFT
Sign up for our newsletter: discovermagazine.com/newsletter-signup
My Science Shop: myscienceshop.com
STAY CURIOUS!
