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Poseidon's Steed: The Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality

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Probably you have never seen a seahorse in the wild. Even Dr. Helen Scales, who is a scuba diver and marine biologist, has only seen them a few times. The first one she saw, after many dives of looking, was "like glimpsing a unicorn trotting through my garden." But everyone knows what a seahorse looks like, a fantastic looking creature that sparks curiosity, and it is a hit at aquariums or in oceanic picture books. Scales has satisfied many facets of the curiosity about seahorses in her book _Poseidon's Steed: The Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality_ (Gotham Books). The reason seahorses don't get seen very often (and part of the reason for their attractiveness) is that they are placid; they do not zip away from predators, but quietly anchor themselves to grass or coral. There are, sadly, only a few black and white pictures in Scales's book, but she includes vivid explanations about the biology and legends of these strange creatures, as well as a broader look at our use of ocean resources.

Seahorses were so puzzling that it took a while for them to be classified as fish. Even in the nineteenth century there was confusion and thoughts that they might be insects or shrimp. But like all fish, they have gills, and they have a swim bladder that controls their buoyancy. Seahorse males are the only male animals that get pregnant and go into labor. During courtship, the female extrudes a short tube that goes into the belly of her mate, and through it she shoots an egg-laden serum. It would make sense that the sperm of the male would be injected into the pouch holding the eggs, but evolution didn't make things so simple. The male still has sperm ejected into the water, as spawning fishes do, and the sperm have to be sucked into the embryo pouch. You are much more likely to see a seahorse in an aquarium than in the wild, and Scales gives a quick history of aquariums, which sprang up in the time of the Victorian enthusiasm for natural history. The world's first public aquarium opened in London in 1853 and was extremely popular. When four seahorses, brought from Portugal, were installed six years later, they were a sensation. Seahorses became popular sights in all the public aquariums in the world, and people clamored to have them in their own home aquariums until they realized how much work a marine aquarium is and the fad died down. These days, there are seahorse farms to breed seahorses for such home or civic aquariums. The farms were originally an idea to cash in on the seahorse trade, not for aquarium displays but for medicinal use. Traditional Chinese medicine uses powdered seahorse in panaceas for virility, ulcers, and who knows what else. Seahorses are often dredged up as byproducts of commercial trawling for shrimp, and 25 million of them a year go into pills. It proved impossible for seahorse farms to keep up with the trawlers, whose catch can turn into dried seahorses sold by the ton. Taking seahorses in this way isn't the main threat to them, but they are not flourishing these days, because of loss of ecosystems due to many different reasons.

Scales, however, tries to be optimistic about efforts at recovery, citing especially the marine park movement: "Over the past twenty or thirty years, there has been mounting recognition that the most effective, not to mention the simplest, way of healing the oceans is merely to leave parts of them alone." Seahorses, however, are not "keystone" species; if they were all to vanish, there are not dependent species that would vanish with them nor prey that would burgeon uncontrolled. Seahorses, though, are special, as Scales shows in her review of the legends and stories we have made up about them. They are, she says, "so strange and yet so perfectly pleasing at the same time," and we should take great satisfaction in "knowing that the unlikely seahorses are merely a result of the unseen forces of natural selection at work." Seahorses may not be an essential species, and may be hard to find, but she reminds us that "the world is absolutely a better place just knowing there are seahorses swimming through the oceans." Her delightful and informative book, full of enthusiasm for her subject, richly fosters our appreciation for a unique creature.

Every so often you are fortunate enough to stumble across a book, purely by accident that is an absolute delight; a pleasurable pause in your life from which simply makes living better. This is one of those works. To be honest, I have never given seahorses much thought. Yes, I have seen their little bodies washed up on beaches around the world, seen pictures, gazed in disgust upon their dried remains in various Asian markets and gross little souvenir stands near our own now polluted gulf ...but never actually gave them much thought one way or the other.

Now I love books on nature, travel, history, natural history, archeology, mythology and adventure. Hellen Scales offered each of these subjects up for my pleasure in this wonderful little book, Poseidon's Steed; The Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality. Good natural history, or nature writers are getting more and more difficult to come by these days but I must say that I have to add Ms. Scales' name to my list of some of the greats; Teale, Peterson, Bailey, Muir, Dillard, Darwin, Leopold and so many others. I feel I am not exaggerating the point here folks...this lady is good!

In this work the author gives us a wonderful picture of the little, quiet and unobtrusive creature the seahorse. She begins with a very nicely done background sketch of the seahorse in art and literature and proceeds to point out its importance in various archeological discoveries, literally from around the world. This theme is woven into her work throughout the book. Of course she addresses the seahorses and their state in our present world; giving us fact after interesting fact (Did you know that he seahorse is the only known species on our plant where the male actually gives birth? Did you know they can change colors at will?), of the various seahorses found in virtually every ocean on our planet, with the exception of the arctic areas. She goes on to explain how these little creatures are used by millions (I might add, extremely delusional and ill informed millions) of individuals to cure a plethora of ailments, impotency seemingly being the primary problem it would seem.

Of course the author does a wonderful job of letting us know the plight of these creatures; how they are being legally and most importantly, illegally hunted and gathered from most of the waters reachable my man. Many subspecies are now on the endangered list and some, if not already, are on the verge of extinction. There seem to be big money in dead seahorses and between greedy hunters, environmentally damaging trawlers and pollution, the outlook is rather grim. The author does give us a bit of hope here and there as she explains some of the many programs not functioning to try to save these little harmless critters that have been so important symbolically in our culture.

Please do not get the impression that this book is a mere study of the taxonomy. No, no, no...far from it; the book actually reads like something between a travel book and a well written novel. It always rather amazes me when I run across a member of academia (Ms.Scales received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and has been deeply involved in research) that can actually write for we, the general unwashed masses...how refreshing this is! No pretense here; this young lady can write and write well... make no mistake!

If you enjoy natural history writing; nature writing, at its best, then this is certainly a book you will want to add to your reading list. I know I will be giving it many more reads in the future for the sheer joy of reading a goodly done piece of work.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Poseidon's Steed is a fascinating introduction into the world of the seahorse, explaining the historical significance of these iconic creatures, and accurately depicting their uncertain future as a result of human consumption for the traditional medicine trade. Dr. Helen Scales spans the globe, collecting myths and legends of the seahorse from many different cultures and time periods, to explain how these relatively unassuming creatures have remained so culturally and spiritually important to the modern world. An importance which, ironically, threatens the seahorse's very existence. Much of information regarding the seahorse trade found in Poseidon's Steed comes from primary sources, that Scales either collected from experts in the field, or witnessed first-hand during her extensive travels. In addition to accurately describing the plight of the seahorse, Scales optimistically offers suggestions and encouragement for the possible methods of preservation of these emblems of the sea. One of the best things about this book is that it's accessible, a rare trait in scientific writing. Scales' personal enthusiasm for not only seahorses, but the entire marine environment, makes a book packed with scientific information, feel as another reviewer put it, "like a beach read". I would argue, however, that this work should be taken more seriously than that, as it gives a voice to a genus of creatures in real and persistent trouble brought by human hands. In addition to providing a valuable environmental message, Scales pragmatically tackles the larger question of "why seahorses matter" to the global community in the first place. The existence of seahorses "almost certainly doesn't matter for the ecology of the oceans" explains Scales, but ultimately "they matter because they inspire us to care about the natural world". This too, is the message of this excellent book, which is well worth a read.

A beautiful book!

Imagine these wonderful creatures living in the ocean- miniature horses with rolling eyes and tiny monkey's tails. It was the males that had babies - no animals do that anymore - and they changed color as if by magic and danced elegant dances every day with their faithful partners. This is how Helen Scales describes the passion of her life - seahorses; elegantly written, researched in depth, the book provides everything that one would want to know about seahorses. How did such a strange creature evolve? How does their genome look like? Not only is the biology covered in detail, Helen's researches the history starting from the Greeks, how our ancestors perceived them, covering all surviving documentation and paintings. Helen goes to the extent of looking at antiques which depict seahorses, with many interesting side stories such as the stolen seahorse brooch from the Lydian Horde in Turkey.

Where would one find seahorses? What do they eat? Why is there a black market trade in seahorses? How is global warming affecting them? Find all these out in this charming and easy to read book. You wont regret buying this book.

Poseidon's Steed: The Story of Seahorses, from Myth to RealityIn Poseidon's Steed, Helen Scales shares her marine biology expertise on seahorses and sheds light on people's fascination with seahorses over the centuries and across the globe. From descriptions of Australian Aborigine "dream time" rainbow serpents to modern discoveries of new species, the book never ceases to amaze. Scales tempers her frustration over the illegal trade in seahorses for use in "traditional" medicines with a discussion of the ancient evolutions of such medicines and their deep-rooted place in some cultures. From her very first underwater encounter with a seahorse in its natural habitat, Scales takes us on a personal journey of discovery. In Poseidon's Steed, she presents a balance of science, history, and sociology, while raising ecological awareness. Of particular interest to me, was her information on the inadvertent capture of seahorses by trawlers. Having watched a fleet of trawlers go out to sea nightly from the Florida Keys, I now understand the danger. Something else that captured my attention was how modern genetics and the study of fossil remains helped identify the oldest of our modern seahorse species. Truly a worthwhile read.

What wonder a wander through the library proved to be ... for on the shelf for new books, I discovered this engaging little book about seahorses and leafy seadragons. Their timid, secretive lives, their history and their current struggles revealed by a knowledgeable marine biologist who knows how to write!

I was just looking for a few tidbits about leafy seadragons to impress the grandkids, and ended up reading it from cover to cover. I was hooked at page 3 when Dr. Scales described her first warm-water scuba dive as a "vibrant, kaleidoscopic sweet shop."

Now, I often read sections to family members and the book intrigues them all. We are all learning. The grandkids say, "Really? The daddy has the babies? The mom and dad dance together? And they change color?" I love it when they ask if that's "real-life" or just pretend? The adults are just as fascinated by the author's worldwide scuba-diving exploits, whether she is seeking out whale sharks or tiny seahorses.

She offers adventure as well as a balanced, global view of marine life.The facts, problems and solutions are many and she addresses them all with compassion and hope. We are left wanting more from her. Next book, please!

A Fabulous Read about an Amzing Treasure from the Sea!
I recently finished reading, Poseidon's Steed and it was outstanding on all aspects! As an avid snorkeler I know how rare it is to come face to face with these amazing and mystical creatures, yet this book will offer a window for those who haven't had the privilage of doing so. I myself have been blessed on one occasion of having the opportunity of having a hands on encounter in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. as I came in to shore from a snorkeling excursion. I couldn't belive my eye's and fortune and was truly mesmerized. Reading Poseidon's Steed brought back that memory and also gave me a more in depth view of Seahorses and their world. Thank you Dr.Scales for taking the time to write such a fabulous book!

A nice little book that has just about everything that is anything about sea horses. The author obviously loves the creatures and takes a chapter to talk in detail about a facet of Sea Horses -- their history, their appearance in myths, their biology, etc. The writing is clear enough for a lay person and it is an interesting, engaging read. I think this would make a perfect book for the budding female marine biologist in early high school. A bit sexist of me maybe, but I think it true.