Hippocampus

Hippocamp

A Hippocamp or Hippocampus...OR a Hippokampoi is a mythological creature from Greek and Roman Mythology.  It is sometimes called a Seahorse in English, but since a real seahorse is much smaller I prefer the name Hippocampus or Hippocamp.  Since the Hippocampus is also the  part of our brain that is thought to control emotions, memory, and the autonomic nervous system.  So, to avoid confusion,  I really prefer the name Hippocamp.

A Hippocamp was supposed to be the size of a land horse.  They resemble a horse, but they have fins instead of hooves on their front legs.  They do not have any back legs, instead sporting a tail with a fluke or tail fin for swimming.  They are supposed to be servants of the god of the sea.  That would be Poseidon or Neptune...depending on if you are looking at Greek or Roman mythology.

I should mention that some early myths tell of Hippocamps having hooves and being able to emerge from the sea and gallop across the land.  Later myths, from Roman mythology have the Hippocamps having the fins.   Some stories have the god of the sea riding in a chariot (without wheels) and the chariot is drawn through the ocean water by Hippocamps.

The above drawing has coral, (including brain coral),  kelp, and a sea anemone with a clownfish.  See if you can spot them.  Clownfish live in and around sea anemone.   Other fish can get stung and eaten by a sea anemone.  But clownfish live in a symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone.  When a sea anemone kills a fish the clownfish cleans up the leftovers.  In return, the sea anemone gives the clownfish a safe place to life.   This type of mutually beneficial relationship is a type of symbiosis called mutualism.

(You need to understand that I am a retired science teacher and I used to teach about the different types of symbiosis....and I also taught about the brain and the nervous system.)

Finally, a dumb joke I just thought up:   "What is the Hippocampus seahorse's favorite food on the coral reef?        ............................................................................................................

Answer:  "Brain Coral!"