The curious world of seahorses The life and lore of a marine marvel

The original German title, Crazy Horse--Launische Faulpelze, gefräßige Tänzer und schwangere Männchen: Die schillernde Welt der Seepferdchen, serves as an enchanting snapshot. The English goes something like this--Capricious Lazybones, Voracious Dancers and Pregnant Males: The Shimmering World of Seahorses. While literary translator Von Paschen chose a less effusive titular route, she certainly deserves gratitude for enabling Anglophone access to science journalist Hein's illuminating--and sobering--overview of arguably the most magical creature in the sea. This book is likely to be both a joyful and an exasperating experience for anyone within earshot of enthralled readers as Hein provides endless opportunities to share mesmerizing details about these "real freaks." They make lots of noise but are hard of hearing. They're mostly monogamous but also independent partners who flirt and dance daily (talk about healthy relationship goals). Newborn sea-foals must reach the surface to fill their swim bladders with air so they can float comfortably. For all the delight, there are a few flaws here. The drawings are appealing, but photographs would have been appreciated. Audiences familiar with Poseidon's Steed (2009), which Hein credits often, will recognize overlaps, and Hein can be repetitious. More important, Hein exposes humans as horrific threats to these marvelous beings' lives and habitats. Readers will remain fascinated and, hopefully, concerned long past the final page.

Science journalist Hein debuts with an enlightening deep dive on the behavior and physiology of seahorses. Their unusual anatomy makes them "real freaks," Hein writes, explaining that the fish have a "body with a pouch like a kangaroo, independently moving eyes like a chameleon, a long snout like an anteater, as well as a prehensile tail like a monkey--complete with a crown on its head as unique as a human fingerprint." Though it's common knowledge male seahorses carry embryos to term, Hein shares some lesser-known facts about the process, noting that males also transfer symbiotic bacteria from their bodies to the embryos to strengthen their immune systems, in addition to allowing seawater into their pouches shortly before giving birth to help the offspring acclimate to the ocean. The author highlights the diversity of seahorse species, observing that long-snouted seahorses can live up to 12 years while dwarf seahorses expire after one, but "reach sexual maturity before the age of three months; thus three generations of the species can be born in a single year." The beguiling trivia emphasizes the strangeness of the creatures, though Hein never quite escapes the shadow of Helen Scales's similar volume on seahorses, Poseidon's Steed, which he cites liberally. Still, it's a diverting look at an aquatic wonder. (Oct.)