Pygmy seahorse

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The pygmy seahorses comprise several species of tiny seahorse in the syngnathid family or Syngnathidae (seahorses and pipefish). Family Syngnathidae is part of order Syngnathiformes, which contains fishes with fused jaws that suck food into tubular mouths. They are found in Southeast Asia in the Coral Triangle area. They are some of the smallest seahorse species in the world, typically measuring less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height. [1] [2]

Contents

The first pygmy seahorse known to science was Hippocampus bargibanti . At least six more species were named after 2000. The first species discovered lives exclusively on fan corals and matches their colour and appearance. So effective is pygmy seahorse camouflage that it was discovered only when a host gorgonian was being examined in a laboratory. In 1969 a New Caledonian scientist, Georges Bargibant, was collecting specimens of Muricella spp gorgonians for the Nouméa museum and whilst one of these was on his dissection table he happened to notice a pair of tiny seahorses. The next year they were officially named by Whitley as Bargibant's pygmy seahorse. [3] Other species live on soft corals or are free-ranging among seagrasses and algae. [4]

Description

The pygmy seahorse is both tiny and well camouflaged. It is very difficult to spot amongst the sea grasses, soft corals, or gorgonians (sea fans) that it inhabits. Other distinctive pygmy seahorse characteristics include a fleshy head and body, a very short snout, and a long, prehensile tail. With their short snouts, they have the appearance of baby animals. Pygmy seahorses are 14–27 millimetres (0.55–1.06 in) long from the tip of the tail to the end of the snout, so that their vertical height while swimming is still smaller. [5] An adult may be as small as 13 millimetres (0.51 in) long. [6]

True pygmy seahorses have distinctive morphological markers. [5] Unlike other seahorses, they have a single gill opening on the back of the head, instead of two on the sides.

Males and females are distinguished by openings at the bottom of the trunk: females have a tiny, raised round pore for extruding eggs and males have a fore-and-aft slit for accepting them. [5]

Similarly to the rest of seahorses, males brood their young in a pouch on their trunk.

Species

Well-camouflaged pygmy seahorse on a gorgonian coral Muricella sp. See this image to identify the pygmy seahorse. Hippocampus bargibanti2.JPG
Well-camouflaged pygmy seahorse on a gorgonian coral Muricella sp. See this image to identify the pygmy seahorse.
A pygmy seahorse found at a depth of around 32 metres (105 ft) at Tulamben near a shipwreck Pygmy.jpg
A pygmy seahorse found at a depth of around 32 metres (105 ft) at Tulamben near a shipwreck
Pygmy seahorse found while diving Nudi's Fall, Lembeh, Indonesia Pygmy seahorse Lembeh 2013.jpg
Pygmy seahorse found while diving Nudi's Fall, Lembeh, Indonesia

The known species are these:

Other dwarf species

Other small seahorses are sometimes called pygmy seahorses, but lack the single gill opening and trunk brooding that distinguish the true pygmy seahorse. They can be called dwarf seahorses: [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seahorse</span> Genus of fishes

A seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippókampos (ἱππόκαμπος), itself from híppos (ἵππος) meaning "horse" and kámpos (κάμπος) meaning "sea monster" or "sea animal". Having a head and neck suggestive of a horse, seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled prehensile tail. Along with the pipefishes and seadragons they form the family Syngnathidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syngnathidae</span> Family of fishes

The Syngnathidae is a family of fish which includes seahorses, pipefishes, and seadragons. The name is derived from Ancient Greek: σύν, meaning "together", and γνάθος, meaning "jaw". The fused jaw is one of the traits that the entire family have in common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big-belly seahorse</span> Species of fish

The big-belly seahorse or pot-bellied seahorse is one of the largest seahorse species in the world, with a length of up to 35 cm (14 in), and is the largest in Australia. Seahorses are members of the family Syngnathidae, and are teleost fishes. They are found in southeast Australia and New Zealand, and are listed on Appendix II of CITES.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcyonacea</span> Order of octocorals that do not produce massive calcium carbonate skeletons

Alcyonacea are a species of sessile colonial cnidarians that are found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the deep sea, polar waters, tropics and subtropics. Whilst not in a strict taxonomic sense, Alcyonacea are commonly known as "soft corals" (Octocorallia) that are quite different from "true" corals (Scleractinia). The term “soft coral” generally applies to organisms in the two orders Pennatulacea and Alcyonacea with their polyps embedded within a fleshy mass of coenenchymal tissue. Consequently, the term “gorgonian coral” is commonly handed to multiple species in the order Alcyonacea that produce a mineralized skeletal axis composed of calcite and the proteinaceous material gorgonin only and corresponds to only one of several families within the formally accepted taxon Gorgoniidae (Scleractinia). These can be found in order Malacalcyonacea (taxonomic synonyms of include : Alcyoniina, Holaxonia, Protoalcyonaria, Scleraxonia, and Stolonifera. They are sessile colonial cnidarians that are found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the deep sea, polar waters, tropics and subtropics. Common names for subsets of this order are sea fans and sea whips; others are similar to the sea pens of related order Pennatulacea. Individual tiny polyps form colonies that are normally erect, flattened, branching, and reminiscent of a fan. Others may be whiplike, bushy, or even encrusting. A colony can be several feet high and across, but only a few inches thick. They may be brightly coloured, often purple, red, or yellow. Photosynthetic gorgonians can be successfully kept in captive aquaria.

<i>Hippocampus bargibanti</i> Species of fish

Hippocampus bargibanti, also known as Bargibant's seahorse or the pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the central Indo-Pacific area.

Hippocampus angustus, commonly known as the narrow-bellied seahorse, western Australian seahorse, or western spiny seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in waters off of Australia, from Perth to Hervey Bay, and the southern portion of Papua New Guinea in the Torres Strait. It lives over soft-bottom substrates, adjacent to coral reefs, and on soft corals at depths of 3–63 metres (9.8–206.7 ft). It is expected to feed on small crustaceans, similar to other seahorses. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. This type of seahorse is monogamous in its mating patterns. The males only fertilize one female's eggs for the mating season because of the population distribution. While some seahorses can be polygamous because they are denser in population, this type of seahorse is more sparsely distributed and the cost of reproduction is high. Therefore, the risk to reproduce due to predatory and distributary factors limits this breed to one mate, often finding the same mate season after season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knobby seahorse</span> Species of fish

The knobby seahorse, also known as the short-headed seahorse or short-snouted seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It inhabits coastal waters in southwestern and southeastern Australia, from Gregory to Bremer Bay, and from Denial Bay to Newcastle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denise's pygmy seahorse</span> Species of fish

Hippocampus denise, also known as Denise's pygmy seahorse or the yellow pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae native to the western Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullneck seahorse</span> Species of fish

The bullneck seahorse is a pygmy seahorse in the genus Hippocampus. This seahorse has never been found in the wild, and little is known about its natural habitat. The only known specimens were collected on the coast of Eden, Australia. It is thought to live in sand beds at the bottom of the ocean, "64 - 100 meters below sea level" possibly wrapping its prehensile tail around gorgonian corals. The seahorse is among the 25 “most wanted lost” species that are the focus of Re:wild's “Search for Lost Species” initiative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender seahorse</span> Species of fish

The slender seahorse or longsnout seahorse is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae that usually inhabits subtropical regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedgehog seahorse</span> Species of fish

The hedgehog seahorse is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. It inhabits coastal waters from India and Sri Lanka to Taiwan and northern Australia. It is threatened by overfishing, as both targeted catch and bycatch. This species is ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.

The false-eye seahorse, or flatface seahorse is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to Australia, from Shark Bay to Broome, where it is found in intertidal rockpools, shallow algae and weedy or rubble reef habitats. It is expected to feed on harpacticoid, calanoid, and cyclopoid copepods, caridean and gammaridean shrimps, and mysids, similar to other seahorses. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Holland seahorse</span> Species of fish

Hippocampus whitei, commonly known as White's seahorse, New Holland seahorse, or Sydney seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is thought to be endemic to the Southwest Pacific, from Sydney, New South Wales and southern Queensland (Australia) to the Solomon Islands. It lives in shallow, inshore habitats, both natural and anthropogenic. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippocampinae</span> Subfamily of fishes

The Hippocampinae are a subfamily of small marine fishes in the family Syngnathidae. Depending on the classification system used, it comprises either seahorses and pygmy pipehorses, or only seahorses.

<i>Acentronura</i> Genus of fishes

Acentronura is a genus of pygmy pipehorse native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. The name is derived from the Greek ακεντρονουρα, or a-kentron-oura, and refers to the lack of a sting on the tail.

<i>Hippocampus waleananus</i> Species of fish

Hippocampus waleananus, the Walea pygmy seahorse, is a species of seahorse endemic to the Togian Islands in Indonesia, and is associated with specific soft corals. The species was described in 2009 from a single specimen which was found close to the island Walea. A 2016 classification considered it a synonym of Hippocampus satomiae, Lourie & Kuiter, 2008 due to lack of sufficient morphological differences,, but following a reevaluation it is now recognised as a distinct species.

<i>Hippocampus pontohi</i> Species of fish

Hippocampus pontohi, also known as Pontoh's pygmy seahorse or the weedy pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae native to the central Indo-pacific. Named after Hentje Pontoh, the Indonesian dive guide from Bunaken (Manado) who first brought these pygmy seahorses to attention.

Hippocampus debelius, commonly known as the softcoral seahorse, is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is known from only two specimens collected from the Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea, at depths of 15–30 metres (49–98 ft). Individuals were found associated with soft corals. Although little is known of this species, it is expected to feed on crustaceans, similar to other seahorses. It is also expected to be ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese pygmy seahorse</span> Species of fish

The Japanese pygmy seahorse is a Japanese species of seahorse in the family Syngnathidae. It is also sometimes known as the Japan pig.

<i>Hippocampus nalu</i> Species of seahorse endemic to South Africa

Hippocampus nalu, the Sodwana pygmy seahorse, African pygmy seahorse or Honeypot seahorse, is a South African species of pygmy seahorse in the family Syngnathidae.

References

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  2. Bargibant's seahorse. Accessed 2012-11-02.
  3. Smith, Richard E. Hippocampus bargibanti Archived 2016-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Reijnen, B.T., van der Meij, S.E.T., van Ofwegen, L.P. (2011) "Fish, fans and hydroids: host species of pygmy seahorses." ZooKeys103: 1-26.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Richard E. Pygmy seahorse research
  6. Fishes of Australia: H. bargibanti. Accessed 2012-11-02.
  7. Smith, Richard E. "Hippocampus bargibanti". Ocean Realm Images. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  8. Common Pygmy Seahorse Accessed 2012-10-31.
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  12. 1 2 Weedy Pygmy Seahorse Accessed 2012-10-31.
  13. Smith, Richard E. "Hippocampus satomiae". Ocean Realm Images. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  14. Satomi's Pygmy Seahorse Accessed 2012-10-31.
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  17. Coleman's Pygmy Seahorse Accessed 2012-10-31.
  18. Short, Graham; Smith, Richard; Motomura, Hiroyuki; Harasti, David; Hamilton, Healy (2018). "Hippocampus japapigu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from Japan, with a redescription of H. Pontohi (Teleostei, Syngnathidae)". ZooKeys (779): 27–49. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.779.24799 . PMC   6110155 . PMID   30166895.
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  20. University of Leeds (2020-05-20). "Meet Africa's first pygmy seahorse species". Phys.org. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  21. Corlett, Eva (6 October 2021). "Pygmy pipehorse discovered in New Zealand given Māori name in 'world first'". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2021-10-06.

This article incorporates text from the ARKive fact-file "Pygmy seahorse" under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License and the GFDL .