Did you know there’s an adult version of seahorses called the hippocampus? I mean, they’ve technically never been seen before, but they are an important part of Greek mythology from thousands of years ago. They’re associated with Poseidon, the Greek god of the ocean, so they were highly respected by the Greeks. People believed they pulled Poseidon’s chariot, and were often the mounts of nymphs and other creatures of the sea.
Hippocamps are a majestic and carefree creature. They bear a personality very similar to that of modern horses. They maintain a close connection with water breathing humanoids (mermen, sea elves), since they are treated well and respected as loyal mounts. This is very similar to the connection a horse develops with an owner who cares deeply for them. Hippocamps love the other creatures in the ocean, and have a very non-violent nature. This can be seen by their lack of defensive anatomy. Their torsos are almost identical to those of modern land dwelling horses. Their mane is that of flexible fins, and their hooves are replaced by small webbed fins that fold up when the hippocamps swim. The lower half of the body is fish-like, since they have tails with wide horizontal fins. There are many varieties of colors, though most are shades of green or blue.
Occasionally, when hippocamps are attacked, they maintain defensive positions. They use their strong bite and powerful tails to fend off the creature, but then they quickly swim away in order to avoid further conflict. It is common for them to protect each other, since they travel in packs. These packs can be found in both fresh and saltwater, and they prefer to live in the deeper waters. They do not require air, so they do not need to return to the surface unless their usual food source (seaweed) is too depleted in their current feeding grounds. If necessary, they can breathe air, but they need to continue taking gulps of water as they do so.
These packs are rarely larger than ten in number. Hippocamps travel in a pack very similar to that of lions; there is a stallion, a few mares, and then a few young hippocamps. The mares lay eggs every year, and then after six months the eggs hatch. These young hippocamps take two years to mature intellectually, though after a year they are the physical equivalent of a full grown hippocampus. They are taught by their mothers to search for food and look out for predators. The hippocampus does not have any traditional predators, but it can still be attacked by others of its kind. This generally happens when packs encroach upon the territories of other packs. They are defensive of their young, and stallions do not like intruders.
They are many legends of the hippocamps, and I love the idea of riding a grown seahorse underwater. They are known to speed through the water and do summersaults for fun, so I can only imagine how awesome that would be to do with them.
*Hippocamps have never been discovered in the wild. This blog about their behaviors and habitat is all speculation based on legends.