Seahorses Have 2 Spring-Like Tendons That Enable Its Powerful ‘Gulp’ To Draw in a Mouthful of Prey [Study]

A new study has revealed how seahorses draw their prey in a gulp. Apparently, they have a clever and unusual strategy to eat.

Seahorses and Their Powerful Gulp

Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel and Rochester Institute of Technology in the US examined the force needed by seahorses to draw in a mouthful of prey. They have two spring-like tendons that suck in water quickly and tilt their heads to catch prey in one short move. They can consume water at a rate that is around eight times faster with the powerful "gulp" than they could with only muscular exertion.

The researchers explain in their published work that the same system accelerates the water drawn into the mouth and the head as it swings upward, ScienceAlert reported.

Since they eat frequently, seahorses may quickly consume their food and drink despite their small size and slow movement, freeing up more time for other seahorse activities.

The fused jaw fish family Syngnathidae has interesting creatures within its umbrella, like leafy sea dragons (Phycodurus), pipefishes (Phyllopteryx), and seahorses (Hippocampus sp.). Syngnathids use an elastic tendon from a neck muscle to the back of their skull to rotate their long snouts upward to grab prey.

According to research, some species, such as fleas and trap-jaw ants, have developed a unique mechanism termed the latch-mediated spring-actuated (LaMSA) system that allows them to jump or seize prey extremely quickly.

The LaMSA system stretches an elastic component with powerful muscles, locking it in place until it is time to release it all at once. The animal has a lot of ability to move quickly because of this abrupt release.

Some fish have developed a similar system, even though LaMSA is mainly seen in insects and other creatures without backbones.

The four-bar connection system on seahorses aids in transferring force to their heads. One of the bars of the seahorse's LaMSA system is flexible, in contrast to other LaMSA systems.

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Seahorses' LaMSA Speeds Up Its Suction-Feeding Flows

Zoologist Roi Holzman of Tel Aviv University in Israel and colleagues in the US investigated this riddle of seahorses' semi-translucent skin, and they discovered a second tendon below the chin that may provide the jaw with additional strength.

According to Holzman, who spoke to Corryn Wetzel of New Scientist, they noticed that the tendon contracts, suggesting that it can store elastic energy. He added that it was exciting as they hadn't discovered a dual-purpose elastic energy storage device before it.

Two tendons act in concert to quicken head rotation and heighten fluid suction in front of the mouth, powering the seahorse's LaMSA system.

Holzman and his team used hydrodynamic modeling to visualize the water flow and calculate the net power needed to quicken the suction-feeding flows of 13 distinct fish species.

A seahorse's suction-feeding muscle has nearly three times the strength of any vertebrate muscle, resulting in suction fluxes that are about eight times faster than fish of the same size.

Additional research also found that the elastic tendons swiftly contract to release roughly 72% of the force needed to hasten the passage of water into the mouth.

These findings reveal how seahorses have evolved modifications that make it easier for them to consume food more effectively while also providing scientists with fresh knowledge about the size, functionality, and architecture of LaMSA systems.

Holzman told New Scientist that he's sure they have some other crazy innovations that they haven't

discovered yet.

The study was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.