I'll help save the world's seahorses ... by breeding them in Loch Lomond!

Rory Crawford, an aquatic bioscience graduate from North Kelvinside, will head the special seahorse breeding and conservation unit at Loch Lomond Aquarium.

Nine new tanks will house a host of the endangered species from Australia to the Caribbean.

The 22-year-old former Williamwood High pupil will be responsible for encouraging a minimum of three species of tropical seahorse to breed, and for raising awareness of the plight of many seahorses in the wild.

He said: "I can't wait to get started. The new facility will give us a great opportunity to inform people about such an important conservation cause.

"About 20 million are slaughtered annually, many to supply ingredients for traditional Chinese medicines - so they really are at risk. There's also still a thriving black market in seahorse souvenirs and in the illegal import of protected species for home aquariums."

The Balloch centre is part of the Sea Life group, whose centre in Weymouth hosts the UK's national seahorse breeding headquarters. However, more facilities such as the one at Balloch could help save the unusual fish from extinction.

Rory explained: "In the short term they will help stock educational aquarium displays which raise awareness of and support for conservation projects around the world.

"In the longer term they will build a captive-bred pool of seahorses which - if it becomes necessary - could help replenish decimated wild populations."

Michael Mason, operations manager at Loch Lomond Aquarium, said: "It's fantastic that a new development for the aquarium is now in the making, and it will give the area a renewable resource and a new attraction." Timesfile

•Only male seahorses can give birth.

•Seahorses have only one partner for life.

•They can bend their heads up and down but not from side to side.

•Seahorses often swim in pairs linked by their tails.

•The scientific name for seahorse is hippocampus, which means horse sea monster.