Seahorse: The shyest fish in the sea by Chris Butterworth. Illus. by John Lawrence

Its scientific name is hippocampus meaning "horse-like sea-monster" but anything less like a monster would be hard to find as the gentle seahorse spends its days and life swimming amongst the weeds and reeds of the seabed.

As mysterious as it is misnamed, the life of this little creature is explored in this book for young readers. One of about 45 known species, the focus is the tiny Barbour's seahorse, endemic to South East Asia, as it hides from passing predators, mates, and the male taking care of the eggs for 45 days until they hatch and are released into the ocean to immediately have to fend for themselves despite the risks. No going back into the pouch like a baby kangaroo for them!

While Australia is home to about 230 species of the Syngnathidae family (meaning "fused jaw " and which includes pipefish and sea dragons), one of those - the native White's Seahorse (Hippocampus whitei) - which is found only along the eastern coastline from Hervey Bay, Qld south to St George's Basin, NSW, has been listed as endangered by the IUCN because of its declining habitats, only the second seahorse species to have been labelled as such. However, its future is brighter because of the seahorse hotel project, an innovation that is now being replicated throughout the world. (The origins of this project which actually began in Port Stephens, NSW is told in Little Horses, while visitors to Tasmania can see them live at Seahorse World, Beauty Point.)

This is another in the wonderful Nature Storybooks series that uses a narrative non fiction format, personalising the focus creature as its story is told but also providing factual information alongside so they are reading and learning at the same time.

Themes: Seahorses, Fish.

Barbara Braxton