Editing Seahorse (section)

===Courtship===
Before breeding, seahorses may court for several days. Scientists believe the [[Courtship display|courtship]] behavior synchronizes the animals' movements and reproductive states, so that the male can receive the eggs when the female is ready to deposit them. During this time, they may change color, swim side by side holding tails or grip the same strand of sea grass with their tails, and wheel around in unison in what is known as a "predawn dance". They eventually engage in a "true courtship dance" lasting about 8 hours, during which the male pumps water through the egg pouch on his trunk which expands and opens to display its emptiness. When the female's eggs reach maturity, she and her mate let go of any anchors and drift upward snout-to-snout, out of the sea grass, often spiraling as they rise. They interact for about 6 minutes, reminiscent of courtship.<ref name="autogenerated2" /> The female inserts her [[ovipositor]] into the male's brood pouch and deposits dozens to thousands of eggs. As the female releases her eggs, her body slims while his swells. Both animals then sink back into the sea grass and she swims away.<ref name="autogenerated2" />

==== Phases of courtship ====
Seahorses exhibit four phases of courtship that are indicated by clear behavioral changes and changes in the intensity of the courtship act. Phase 1, the initial courtship phase, typically takes place in the early morning one or two days before physical [[copulation (zoology)|copulation]]. During this phase the potential mates brighten in colour, quiver, and display rapid side-to-side body vibrations. These displays are performed alternately by both the male and the female seahorse. The following phases, 2 through 4, happen sequentially on the day of copulation. Phase 2 is marked by the female pointing, a behaviour in which the female will raise her head to form an oblique angle with her body. In phase 3 males will also begin the same pointing behaviour in response to the female. Finally, the male and female will repeatedly rise upward together in a [[water column]] and end in mid-water copulation, in which the female will transfer her eggs directly into the male's brood pouch.<ref name="Masonjones-1996">{{Cite journal |last1=Masonjones |first1=Heather D. |last2=Lewis |first2=Sara M. |date=1996 |title=Courtship Behavior in the Dwarf Seahorse, ''Hippocampus zosterae'' |journal=Copeia |volume=1996 |issue=3 |pages=634–640 |doi=10.2307/1447527 |jstor=1447527}}</ref>

===== Phase 1: Initial courtship =====
This initial courtship behaviour takes place about 30 minutes after dawn on each courtship day, until the day of copulation. During this phase the males and females will remain apart during the night, but after dawn they will come together in a side-by-side position, brighten, and engage in courtship behaviour for about 2 to 38 minutes. There is repeated reciprocal quivering. This starts when the male approaches the female, brightens and begins to quiver. The female will follow the male with her own display, in which she will also brighten and quiver about 5 seconds later. As the male quivers, he will rotate his body towards the female who will then rotate her body away. During phase 1 the tails of both seahorses are positioned within 1&nbsp;cm of each other on the same [[Holdfast (biology)|hold-fast]] and both of their bodies are angled slightly outward from the point of attachment. However, the female will shift her tail attachment site, causing the pair to circle their common hold-fast.<ref name="Masonjones-1996" />

===== Phase 2: Pointing and pumping =====
This phase begins with the female beginning her pointing posture, by leaning her body towards the male, who will simultaneously lean away and quiver. This phase can last up to 54 minutes. Following phase 2 is a latency period (typically between 30 minutes and four hours), during which the seahorses display no courtship behaviour and females are not bright; males will usually display a pumping motion with their body.<ref name="Masonjones-1996" />

===== Phase 3: Pointing – pointing =====
[[File:Seahorse mating dance.JPG|thumb|Seahorses in Phase 2 of courtship]]
The third phase begins with the females brightening and assuming the pointing position. The males respond with their own brightening and pointing display. This phase ends with the male departing. It usually lasts nine minutes and can occur one to six times during courtship.<ref name="Masonjones-1996" />

===== Phase 4: Rising and copulation =====
The final courtship phase includes 5–8 bouts of courtship. Each bout of courtship begins with both the male and female anchored to the same plant about 3&nbsp;cm apart; usually they are facing each other and are still bright in colour from the previous phase. During the first bout, following the facing behaviour, the seahorses will rise upward together anywhere from 2 to 13&nbsp;cm in a water column. During the final rise, the female will insert her [[ovipositor]] and transfer her eggs through an opening into the male's brood pouch.<ref name="Masonjones-1996" />