Hippocampus histrix, Thorny seahorse : fisheries, aquarium

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Hippocampus histrix Kaup, 1856

Thorny seahorse
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Hippocampus histrix   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Hippocampus histrix (Thorny seahorse)
Hippocampus histrix
Picture by Bednarzik, J.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathinae
Etymology: Hippocampus: Greek, ippos = horse + Greek,kampe = curvature (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Kaup.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 1 - 82 m (Ref. 37816), usually 15 - 40 m (Ref. 90102). Tropical; 35°N - 35°S, 22°E - 132°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Tanzania and South Africa to Hawaii and Tahiti, north to Japan, south to New Caledonia. Reported from the Arafura Sea (Ref. 9819). This name is used for at least four distinct species (Ref. 30915). International trade is monitored through a licensing system (CITES II, since 5.15.04) and a minimum size of 10 cm applies.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 7.9  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 17.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 11441)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-18; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A rare inhabitant of shallow sheltered reefs, found among clumps of algae or in seagrass beds. Large adult pelagic and probably associated with drifting debris. Associated with sponges and sea-squirts (Ref. 30915, 58302). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). Feeds on zooplanktons and small crustaceans (Ref. 89972). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205). Use in traditional Chinese medicine is increasing with the rise in patent medicines (Ref. 30915). Not common in the aquarium trade (Ref. 30915).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Monogamous mating is observed as both obligate and genetic (Ref. 52884). Male carries the eggs in a brood pouch (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Lourie, S.A., A.C.J. Vincent and H.J. Hall, 1999. Seahorses: an identification guide to the world's species and their conservation. Project Seahorse, London. 214 p. (Ref. 30915)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 126983)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2cd+4cd); Date assessed: 26 January 2017

CITES

Appendix II: International trade monitored

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration
Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Spawning aggregation
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
BRUVS
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Nutrients
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins Misc.
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

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Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.4 - 29, mean 28.1 °C (based on 1240 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00447 (0.00175 - 0.01142), b=3.00 (2.78 - 3.22), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.5   ±0.53 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 102 [59, 196] mg/100g ; Iron = 0.824 [0.481, 1.489] mg/100g ; Protein = 18 [17, 19] % ; Omega3 = 0.13 [0.08, 0.23] g/100g ; Selenium = 41.6 [21.8, 91.3] μg/100g ; VitaminA = 74.7 [25.4, 214.0] μg/100g ; Zinc = 1.57 [1.07, 2.21] mg/100g (wet weight);