Before coupling, the male changes colour. He then dances around the female three mornings in a row, after he twists his body to show that his stomach is empty. Next, the female moves her head up and down to say yes to them coupling up. How seahorses couple is unique. They stay a couple for the rest of their lives. The male has a special pouch called marsupium. The female and the male dance stomach to stomach while she transfers the eggs to the male. There can be 200 eggs! The male fertilizes the eggs, and carries them for two to three weeks. Each larva has a tissue pocket that receives the nutrients and oxygen from the circulatory system of the male. The male goes into a series of contractions, and then the babies are pumped out of a hole in the top of the pouch. After the babies are born, the male changes colour. When the babies are born depends on the temperature of the water. The babies are like miniature adults, completely developed, and ready to defend themselves.