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… and how the male seahorses give birth.

On p.8 of the Inspiration Kit, you’ll find video of the daily dance, & the outcome: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGnYP049ps/OC5TbwbBk8jMzOfFeg6HgA/view#8
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#MalePregnancy #BabyAnimal #seahorse #IconicFishes #AmmiLeong

The main text says: “Two weeks later, Wei Wei gave birth to over 100 little ponies. Wei Wei, Wan Wan and their little sea ponies lived happily together.” Explanatory text adds: “The male seahorse would roll its tail tightly on the seagrass blade. Baby seahorses are usually released from the male seahorse’s pouch at night or before dawn. Finally, countless little seahorses will be ejected from its pouch like a fire extinguisher.” The painting shows the two adult seahorses watching the many tiny babies emerge.

The book shows us how they dance…
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#DailyRoutine #dancing #seahorse #IconicFishes #AmmiLeong

The main text says: “Every morning Wan Wan, a very close friend of Wei Wei, would meet Wei Wei for a dance above the seagrass blades.” Explanatory text adds: “A dance is a mating process. When mating, the two seahorse tails will be intertwined and the colour will change to attract each other. Like a ballet dancer, the male seahorse slowly rotates in the water towards the female seahorse, sometimes rolling its tail, and sometimes letting it stand upright; a ‘love dance’ can last for hours.” The painting shows the happy couple in four stages of the dance.

Meanwhile, Ammi worked with Dr Adam Lim of #SaveOurSeahorses in #Malaysia to answer a question important to all Malaysians, #WhatTheyEat.

& while Swiftly Slurping… p.10 of the Inspiration Kit also tells us How They Sound: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGnYP049ps/OC5TbwbBk8jMzOfFeg6HgA/view#10
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#food #eating #seahors #IconicFishes #AmmiLeong

The text says: “Seahorses are carnivorous fishes. They feed only on animals that can fit into its snout such as the zooplanktons, worms, small fishes and shrimps. Everyday, Wei Wei would hunt for food using his straw-like snout. He would sneak up on his prey and suck them up real fast to eat them, catching them by surprise.” The left-hand painting shows the eye of the seahorse on a tiny shrimp. The right shows an action sequence of three images as the shrimp is sucked into the seahorse’s snout.

Here Ammi introduces some of the characters who live in the seagrass, & shows us part of their home.
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#razorfish #pipefish #seahorse #nudibranch #seastar #seagrass #habitat #IconicFishes #AmmiLeong

This painting shows four narrow silver razorfish hanging vertically, heads down, a yellow seahorse anchoring with his tail to a blade of tape seagrass, and two bendy inquisitive pipefish. The seahorse & pipefish are eyeing each other with curiosity. On the seabed we see spoon and fern seagrass, a seaweed, the glossy shell of a marine snail, a small red nudibranch and a large knobbly red seastar. The text reads: "This is Wei Wei, the yellow spotted seahorse. He lives in this seagrass meadow with his friends."

The story is set in a seagrass meadow.
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#seagrass #Malaysia #pipefish #seahorse #seabed #iconicfishes #AmmiLeong

Two-page spread from the book, with an underwater view of the seagrass meadow teeming with diverse plant and animal life, and an above-water view of a distant city, and a bird stepping through the water and eyeing the small creatures below. The text reads: "This is a seagrass meadow in Malaysia. It is home to the yellow spotted seahorse and other marine animals."

Their eyes move independently like those of a chameleon... I love the notes by artist #AmmiLeong, as she prepared to illustrate 'A Seahorse Story'. Sketches, storyboard & some finished pages are on her website & reproduced here with permission.
https://www.ammileong.com/anak-murid-yang-memakai-kain-cawat?lightbox=dataItem-kr7y15li5
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#sketch #seahorse #illustration #OceanArt #IconicFishes

Sketch of a male and female seahorse, facing each other, with notes on particular features in English & Chinese. Apart from the eyes (sketched swivelling), "long snouts used to suck up food", "prehensile tail", & "swim very poorly, rapidly fluttering a dorsal fin and using pectoral fins to steer". Coronet: "a crown-like horn or spine on its head which is distinct for each species". For the male, "slight keel" (re angle of body), & "pouch on the ventral side of the tail". "Mature females with dark spot under anal fin."

Cover of the book, with watercolour of a yellow seahorse among seagrass, with title 'A Seahorse Story' in English & Chinese.

Paintings by Ammi Leong, Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia:
https://www.ammileong.com/

“Power of Three” message from the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation of the Philippines:
https://www.coast.ph/ccef-news/11/the-power-of-three-mangroves-seagrass-and-coral-reefs/
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#PowerOfThree #MarineProtectedArea #mangrove #seagrass #coral #AmmiLeong #CCEF #Malaysia #Philippines @iconicfishes

@tamami 💯 - art inspires! These postcards of watercolors by #AmmiLeong have been starting great conversations. Her art speaks to us of beings we love, the places they live, & their need for protection. (Mudskippers, jitter-flowers... we all have favorites!)
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#mangrove #seagrass #coral #mudskipper #ArtAndNature #OceanArt

Mangrove roots, seen underwater, with dappled sunlight on the seabed. Mudskippers and fiddler crabs climb on the roots. New shoots grow up from the seabed, where we see a chocolate-chip starfish, and horseshoe crabs. New roots grow down towards the seabed, and we see the interface where air and water meet. Many small fish are seen amid the mangroves, where they shelter, feed and grow.

A seagrass-scape, seen mostly from underwater, but with a large white female flower on the surface at top left, as sometimes seen at low tide. The little white dots floating around it are detached male flowers, and the round edible fruit is seen at bottom right. The seagrass species shown include those known colloquially as ribbon, fibre-strand, spoon, fern, and sickle, according to their various leaf shapes. Noble volute can be seen, and a thorny sea cucumber glimpsed.

The vibrant colors and varied shapes of a healthy reef, with corals, sponges and anemones. A turtle is visible in the distance, beyond a natural arch and gorgonian fan. A lone clown anemone fish looks out: have his family disappeared to the aquarium trade?

Three-panelled design using details of these paintings, with text: The Power of Three – Mangroves, Seagrass, Coral – Together, mangroves, seagrass and coral reefs provide more protection than any individual habitat or a combination of two.

Acrylic paintings by Ammi Leong exhibited this month in "1000 tiny artworks" at #HinBusDepot in Penang.
#IconicFishes #seahorse #AmmiLeong

#AmmiLeong

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