Spiny seahorse

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Spiny seahorse
Hippocampus hystrix (Spiny seahorse).jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Hippocampus
Species:
H. histrix
Binomial name
Hippocampus histrix
Kaup, 1856
Synonyms

Hippocampus curvicuspis Fricke, 2004

The spiny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix), also referred to as the thorny seahorse, is a small marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, native to the Indo-Pacific area. It is classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Contents

Description

The spiny seahorse is a small fish that can reach a maximum length of 15–17 cm. [3] [4]

The body is slender, elongated and completely covered with thorns. These are sharp with dark tips, and uniformly sized on the prehensile tail. The trunk has long thorns which continue until the coronet, which has 4–5. The head is also provided with numerous spines especially on the forehead, the base of the cheeks, the nose and above the eyes. The snout is very long and tapered. Body coloration is highly variable to match surroundings and goes from grey to cream, and from bright yellow, to green or red and even brownish. It can be plain or with different pattern on the side or/and on the backside. The snout is generally striped with one or more thin white lines. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Spiny seahorse from East Timor Hippocampus hystrix (Spiny seahorse) yellow.jpg
Spiny seahorse from East Timor

The spiny seahorse is relatively rare but widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific. In Australia it has been reported from the south of Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, and in Port Stephens, New South Wales. It is also found at Bali, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Japan. [3] The species favours relatively deep waters (10–95 m) and is usually found below 15 m depths. This species is found on a variety of substrates including sponges, weedy rocky reefs, soft corals but mainly on seagrass beds. ( [5] , [6] )

Biology

The spiny seahorse has a carnivorous diet and feeds on small crustaceans and other planktonic organisms. [3] [7]

It is ovoviviparous and the female uses an ovipositor to transfer her eggs into an enclosed pouch under the abdomen of the male. [3] It is the male who broods the eggs in its ventral brood pouch. The latter includes villi rich in capillaries that surround each fertilized egg creating a sort of placenta supplying the embryos. The male fertilizes the eggs inside the pouch and provides physical protection for them as they develop. He also osmoregulates, aerates the embryos, and may provide some nourishment until the offspring are born. [3] When fully grown, pups will be expelled from the pocket and evolve in complete autonomy.

Conservation

H. histrix is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Populations are thought to have declined by more than 30% over the last 10-15 years. It is subject both to targeted exploitation for use in traditional medicine and the aquarium trade, and to population losses from bycatch in the shrimp fishery. Inshore sea-grass habitats frequented by the species are also in decline. Like all seahorses, it is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meaning that it is on the list of species the trade of which must be controlled to ensure their survival. As most seahorses enter trade as bycatch, imposing export quotas would achieve next to nothing for wild populations. [1]

Decreases in population sizes are likely due to exploitation for international trade, and to bycatch and habitat destruction. [8] Major threats to seagrass habitats include eutrophication, sedimentation, coastal construction, dredging and invasive species and these threats result in decline in and fragmentation of seagrass habitats. It is reasonable to expect that all of these threats will continue into the future. [8] Even excluding the trade demand for this species, it is known to often be bycatch in non-selective fisheries, for example, fish and shrimp trawls which occurs throughout the range of the species and leads to the degradation of the habitat for those seahorses. [9] Shrimp trawls are a major concern to the Hippocampus histrix species. Trade is supplied by catching the species directly but also as bycatch in other non-selective fisheries such as shrimp trawls. [10] [11] [9] The trade of the thorny seahorses is reported throughout the range of the species. It had been reported in international trade since the mid 1990s and to this day fishers and traders report declines in seahorse availability. [10] [12]

The species is one of the six most common internationally traded species of seahorse that is reported to CITES. However, its common name is often used as a label for any spiny seahorse from the Indo-Pacific, which means it could contain specimens of other species as well. It is not often collected for the aquarium trade business because it lives in moderately deep waters, but may be used more often dried and sold for the medicine trade or as antiques/decoration. Its spines make it undesirable for the medicine trade. [8]

Related Research Articles

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

A seahorse is any of 46 species of small marine bony 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">Trawling</span> Method of catching fish

Trawling is an industrial method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net, that is heavily weighted to keep it on the seafloor, through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different species of fishes or sometimes targeted species. Trawls are often called towed gear or dragged gear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bycatch</span> Fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally

Bycatch, in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juveniles of the target species. The term "bycatch" is also sometimes used for untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting. Non-marine species that are caught but regarded as generally "undesirable" are referred to as rough fish or coarse fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devil fish</span> Species of cartilaginous fish

The devil fish or giant devil ray is a species of ray in the family Mobulidae. It is currently listed as endangered, mostly due to bycatch mortality in unrelated fisheries.

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

Barbour's seahorse is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae.

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

The giraffe seahorse is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is found in coastal waters off of the south and east coasts of Africa, from South Africa to Tanzania, and possibly north to Kenya. It lives in estuarine seagrass beds, algae beds, and shallow reefs to depths of 45 metres (148 ft), where it can grow to lengths of 10 centimetres (3.9 in). 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. Individuals are sexually mature at around 6.5 centimetres (2.6 in). Major threats to this species could be habitat loss, through coastal development and pollution, and overexploitation through bycatch. Some other threats include human use by drying out the seahorse for traditional medicine or as a curio.

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

The tiger tail seahorse is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. The species was first described by Theodore Cantor in 1850. It is found in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtidal aquatic beds and coral reefs. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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

Hippocampus fisheri, commonly known as Fisher's seahorse, or the Hawaiian seahorse, is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is known from the Hawaiian Islands, although previous misidentifications indicated species occurrences in Australia and New Caledonia. Habitat preferences are unknown, but it has been found far away from shore and at depths greater than 100 metres (330 ft). Feeding habits are also unknown, but individuals are expected to feed on small crustaceans similar to other seahorses. Hippocampus fisheri is one out of the three species of Hippocampus genus found in the Hawaiian islands. They are also expected to be ovoviviparous, with males carrying eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young. Individuals can grow to lengths of 8 centimetres (3.1 in). The specific name and the common name honour "Walter V. Fisher” of Stanford University. There was a Walter Kenrick Fisher who was Jordan and Evermann's colleague at Stanford and the “V” is assumed to be a typo.

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

Hippocampus guttulatus, commonly known as the long-snouted seahorse and in Great Britain as the spiny seahorse, is a marine fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, native from the northeast Atlantic, including the Mediterranean.

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

The Pacific seahorse, also known as the giant seahorse, is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. Their genus name (Hippocampus) is derived from the Greek word hippos, which means "horse" and campus, which means "sea monster." This species is the only seahorse species found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Hippocampus kuda</i> Species of seahorse

Hippocampus kuda is a species of seahorse, also known as the common seahorse, estuary seahorse, yellow seahorse or spotted seahorse. The common name sea pony has been used for populations formerly treated as the separate species Hippocampus fuscus, now a synonym of H. kuda.

<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.

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

The flat-faced seahorse, longnose seahorse, low-crowned seahorse or three-spot seahorse is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is found in Australia, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, French Polynesia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is shallow seas. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<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">Dwarf seahorse</span> Species of fish

The dwarf seahorse is a species of seahorse found in the subtidal aquatic beds of the Bahamas and parts of the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss. According to Guinness World Records, it is the slowest-moving fish, with a top speed of about 5 feet (1.5 m) per hour.

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

The short-snouted seahorse is a species of seahorse in the family Syngnathidae. It is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the North Atlantic, particularly around Italy and the Canary Islands. In 2007, colonies of the species were discovered in the River Thames around London and Southend-on-Sea.

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

The lined seahorse, northern seahorse or spotted seahorse, is a species of fish that belongs to the family Syngnathidae. H. erectus is a diurnal species with an approximate length of 15 cm and lifespan of one to four years. The H. erectus species can be found in myriad colors, from greys and blacks to reds, greens, and oranges. The lined seahorse lives in the western Atlantic Ocean as far north as Canada and as far south as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Venezuela. It swims in an erect position and uses its dorsal and pectoral fins for guidance while swimming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Vincent</span> Marine biologist

Amanda Vincent is a Canadian marine biologist and conservationist, one of the world's leading experts on seahorses and their relatives. She currently holds the chair of the IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group and is the marine representative on the IUCN's International Red List Committee as well as being the chair of its Marine Conservation Committee. She previously held the Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada from 2002 to 2012. Vincent co-founded and directs Project Seahorse, an interdisciplinary and international organization committed to conservation and sustainable use of the world's coastal marine ecosystems. In 2020 she became the first marine conservationist to win the world's leading prize for animal conservation, the Indianapolis Prize.

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

The Patagonian seahorse is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It inhabits coastal waters from northeastern Brazil to Chubut, Argentina. It generally is found at shallow depths attached to natural or artificial substrates. This species is ovoviviparous, with males brooding eggs in a brood pouch before giving birth to live young.

<i>Sepioteuthis australis</i> Species of squid

Sepioteuthis australis, commonly known as the southern calamari or the southern reef squid, is a species of reef squid that is native to oceans off the coast of Australia and New Zealand. This species is caught commercially by trawling, as bycatch in the prawn fishing industry and by recreational anglers.

References

  1. 1 2 Pollom, R. (2017). "Hippocampus histrix". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T10070A54905206. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T10070A54905206.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Thorny Seahorse, Hippocampus histrix Kaup 1856". Fishes of Australia.
  4. ↑ Randall, J.E. (1995). Coastal fishes of Oman. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 439.
  5. ↑ Lourie, Sara A. (2004). A guide to the identification of seahorses. Project Seahorse and TRAFFIC North America. OCLC   681625856.
  6. ↑ Kuiter, Rudie H. (Rudie Herman), 1943- (2001). Hippocampes, poissons-aiguilles et espèces apparentées : syngnathiformes. E. Ulmer. ISBN   2841381234. OCLC   47042211.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Bacchet, P.; Zysman, T.; Lefèvre, Y. (2006). Guide des poissons de Tahiti et ses îles. Tahiti (Polynésie Francaise): Editions Au Vent des Îles. pp. 608 p.
  8. 1 2 3 "Hippocampus histrix's assessment". iNaturalist.
  9. 1 2 Perry, Allison L.; Lunn, Kristin E.; Vincent, Amanda C. J. (2010-04-29). "Fisheries, large-scale trade, and conservation of seahorses in Malaysia and Thailand". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 20 (4): 464–475. Bibcode:2010ACMFE..20..464P. doi:10.1002/aqc.1112. ISSN   1052-7613.
  10. 1 2 McPherson, Jana M.; Vincent, Amanda C.J. (2004). "Assessing East African trade in seahorse species as a basis for conservation under international controls". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 14 (5): 521–538. Bibcode:2004ACMFE..14..521M. doi:10.1002/aqc.629. hdl: 1834/816 . ISSN   1052-7613.
  11. ↑ Meeuwig, Jessica J.; Hoang, Do Huu; Ky, Truong Si; Job, Suresh D.; Vincent, Amanda C.J. (2006). "Quantifying non-target seahorse fisheries in central Vietnam". Fisheries Research. 81 (2–3): 149–157. Bibcode:2006FishR..81..149M. doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2006.07.008. ISSN   0165-7836.
  12. ↑ Perry, Allison L.; Lunn, Kristin E.; Vincent, Amanda C. J. (2010-04-29). "Fisheries, large-scale trade, and conservation of seahorses in Malaysia and Thailand". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 20 (4): 464–475. Bibcode:2010ACMFE..20..464P. doi:10.1002/aqc.1112. ISSN   1052-7613.
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