At the Seaside Aquarium, a very maternal male bay pipefish gave birth to dozens of offspring.

Pipefish are related to the sea horse, and like sea horses, the males of the species do the birthing honors. Their scientific name is Syngnathus Leptorhynchus, and they live in shallow water, feeding on plankton. About half an inch in length when born, adult pipefish can reach up to 13 inches.

The female pipefish produces the eggs and transfers them to the male during a very elaborate dance-like ritual. The male, who can carry up to 225 eggs, fertilizes the eggs and carries them for a few months in a specialized pouch located on his abdomen. Usually, they give birth in August.

The eggs of two or three females can be involved in one spawning period. Consequently, the male is pregnant with eggs that are in different stages of gestation, and the baby pipefish are born in separate batches. The babies are born fully developed and able to feed themselves.

Tiffany Boothe, an education specialist with the Seaside Aquarium, said, “The aquarium has had pipefish in the past give birth, but because of their size and fragility when born, we have had no luck keeping them alive. We are going to try a slightly new tactic, though we are not too optimistic that it will work. Because of this we also plan on releasing some of the babies into a local estuary.”

Keith Chandler, the aquarium manager, said that the pipefish are not currently on display, but in a holding tank, in an attempt to save some of the offspring.

Boothe said scientists aren’t sure how long pipefish live, and it’s possible they die after giving birth. Some theories indicate they could live about one to two years.