An aldosterone test measures the level of aldosterone (a hormone made by the adrenal glands), in the blood. Aldosterone helps regulate sodium and potassium levels in the body. This helps control blood pressure and the balance of fluids and electrolytes in the blood. The kidney hormone renin normally stimulates the adrenal glands to release aldosterone.
A seahorse* can have from 100-1500 babies. Averagly 100-200 for most species, but may be as low as 5 for the smaller species, or as high as 1,500. Seahorses can have up to 1500 fry at one time, depending on the species. They are tiny and difficult to raise in captivity.
So researchers are counting on the captive sea dragons to shed light into their mysterious lives. Sea dragons have only been in captivity for 15 years. There are two kinds of sea dragons: weedy and leafy. The Long Beach aquarium, which opened in 1998, acquired Big Daddy when he was 6 months old. Today, the museum has seven weedy sea dragons and 12 leafy sea dragons. Of the seven weedy ones there are three males, one female and three babies whose sex has yet to be determined. The sea dragons mated last year with only little help from the aquarium staff.