DOCSLIB.ORG

Aquaculture of the Big-Bellied Seahorse Hippocampus Abdominalis Lesson 1827 (Teleostei: Syngnathidae)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Aquaculture of the Big-Bellied Seahorse Hippocampus Abdominalis Lesson 1827 (Teleostei: Syngnathidae) AQUACULTURE OF THE BIG-BELLIED SEAHORSE HIPPOCAMPUS ABDOMINALIS LESSON 1827 (TELEOSTEI: SYNGNATHIDAE) By Chris M.C. Woods Photo: Chris Woods A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences Victoria University 2007 ABSTRACT Seahorses (Teleostei: Syngnathidae) are subjects of worldwide demand for medicinal use, as curios, and as live ornamental aquarium fish. Aquaculture has the potential to replace or at least supplement potentially unsustainable wild exploitation as the supply source of seahorses. The primary aim of the research within this thesis was to determine techniques for improving the technical and economic feasibility for commercially culturing the big-bellied seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis in New Zealand. In a preliminary investigation, the breeding of wild H. abdominalis in captivity and rearing of juveniles was examined, as difficulties have been encountered with these in historical attempts at culturing H. abdominalis . Breeding was found to be facilitated by providing tanks with a water height of 1 m. This depth of water allowed females to transfer their eggs to male seahorses during the vertical rising stage of mating. Growth rates of progeny to sexual maturity were reasonable with seahorses reaching an average 11 cm in standard length (SL) at one year of age, but high juvenile mortality was observed in the first few months of age, with an average 10.6% of juveniles surviving to one year. Further on-growing of these first generation progeny to seven years of age (average of 27 cm SL for both sexes) demonstrated the robustness of the species in captivity and potential to supply large seahorses to the medicinal trade where large size is desirable. To improve juvenile survival and growth, the effects of initial tank colour, lighting arrangement and stocking density on early juveniles were tested. Juveniles at one week of age were found to have higher attack rate and capture success on Artemia nauplii in clear jars than those contained in white- or black-wrapped jars, but this effect of tank colour had less affect on one month-old juveniles. Juveniles were also found to suffer fewer incidences of air bubble ingestion in side-illuminated tanks due to positively phototactic prey ( Artemia ) being drawn away from the water surface. The rearing of juveniles from birth to two months of age in glass aquaria with side-illumination and tank surfaces blacked-out above the waterline resulted in survival rates of >80% due to increased feeding efficiency and reduced risk of air bubble ingestion. Juvenile growth and survival at stocking densities of 1, 2 and 5 juveniles l -1 demonstrated that increasing stocking density resulted in reduced growth and survival, due to the greater occurrence of juveniles grasping and wrestling each other with their prehensile tails. i Producing live foods for fish is a significant cost in finfish culture. This has led to concerted efforts to develop appropriate artificial or inert diets to reduce culture costs. To determine whether juvenile seahorses could be weaned from live food to inert diets, two inert diets (Golden Pearls and frozen copepods) were tested. It was demonstrated that one and two month-old juvenile H. abdominalis could ingest and survive on these inert foods. Co-feeding the inert diets with live Artemia improved feeding on the inert foods. However, growth and survival rates of juveniles on the inert diets were inferior to those fed only on live enriched Artemia . Cultured live foods such as Artemia are often enriched with various enrichment media to boost their nutritional value. However, enrichment media can vary in their nutritional value relative to the final target organisms they are being fed to, as well as their relative cost-effectiveness. Therefore, the effect of different Artemia enrichments on the growth and survival of H. abdominalis and their relative cost-effectiveness was tested using three commercial enrichment products (Super Selco ®, DHA Protein Selco ® and Algamac-3050 ®) and a low-cost Artemia on-growing diet (EPABSF/ Spirulina platensis ). On a cost/benefit basis, EPABSF/ S. platensis worked out to be the most cost- effective for H. abdominalis , with comparable growth rates to seahorses fed Artemia enriched with DHA Protein Selco ® and Algamac-3050 ®. Juvenile growth rates were poorest on Artemia enriched with Super Selco ®. Feeding seahorses frozen mysid shrimp may help reduce culture costs and also increase cultured seahorse marketability to the aquarium trade, but their efficacy in seahorse culture is largely untested. Frozen mysids ( Amblyops kempi ) were shown to be an acceptable alternative to live enriched Artemia for H. abdominalis , providing comparable rates of seahorse growth and survival. When daily rations of frozen mysids at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% wet body weight (wbw) were tested there was no growth advantage to feeding seahorses more than 5% wbw per day in terms of increase in seahorse length. There was a wet weight gain and Condition Factor (CF) advantage associated with increasing feed ration >10%. Feed conversion ratios (FCR) became less efficient as feed ration increased based on the total amount of mysids offered to seahorses, with increasing food wastage. However, when actual mysid consumption was taken into account there were no significant differences in FCR between rations. ii The natural diet and male reproductive output of H. abdominalis in Wellington Harbour was examined for use as aquaculture benchmarks. Natural diet consisted mainly of epibenthic and epifaunal crustaceans (e.g. amphipods, mysid shrimp and caridean shrimp). There were no sex-related differences in diet although there were some size- related differences with smaller seahorses consuming more amphipods. Some of the prey species eaten by wild H. abdominalis may show potential as cultured foods. Wild males produced an average of 271 juveniles per brood, with brood size increasing with parent male size. Comparison of wild reproductive output data with those of cultured male H. abdominalis revealed that cultured male output was approximately 27% lower than that of wild males. However, there were no differences in the quality (size and weight) of the juveniles produced by wild and cultured male H. abdominalis . It is suggested that cultured female reproductive output is the primary determinant in lower cultured male seahorse reproductive output. The research within this thesis has contributed to improving the technical and economic feasibility for commercially culturing the big-bellied seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis . iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my supervisors, Dr. Simon Davy (University of Victoria) and Dr. Philip Heath (NIWA), I sincerely thank you for the guidance you have provided and for the critical review of this thesis. I greatly appreciate the extra effort you went to to fit your supervisory duties and manuscript revisions into your hectic schedules. Thank you also to Prof. Charles Daugherty and Shona de Sain of Victoria University for taking a punt on me and for seeing the value in regulatory latitude. Thank you to Dr. Nicole Phillips (University of Victoria), Dr. Andrea Alfaro (Auckland University of Technology) and Dr. John Purser (University of Tasmania) for your examination of this thesis. I appreciate the time and effort you went to during the examination process and for your constructive reviews. To my colleagues at the NIWA Mahanga Bay Aquaculture Research Facility, thank you for putting up with me and all my little charges during the course of the research: Phil James, Graeme Moss, Philip Heath; Sarah Allen, Bob Hickman, and Mike Tait. Thank you for helping to maintain the experiments and Artemia cultures in the weekends, and when I couldn’t be there because of other commitments. Your camaraderie was greatly appreciated. Hopefully you are now free of the scourge of unwanted Artemia cysts hatching out where you least expect them, and amphipods bouncing off the walls! To Len Tong, Alison MacDiarmid and Philip Heath who led the MB team at various points, thank you for having faith in my ability to solve problems and contribute something positive to New Zealand’s aquaculture industry. To Phil James, I greatly appreciate your friendship, solidarity and dive-buddying during our shared internment in “The Fridge”. To the seahorse aquaculturists Greg Leveridge and Mic Payne, who entered into the world of commercial seahorse culture in the proper manner – with intelligence, green- thumbs, patience, a willingness to acquire and share knowledge, and a sense of humour. Culturing seahorses with consistently good growth and survival rates is something that I appreciate and find impressive, but to do so in a commercial environment and make your mark internationally whilst still retaining your integrity is even more impressive. Those who enter into seahorse aquaculture in a whirlwind of media-hype, investor’s money, ignorance and blinkered-vision often leave again without success, having iv benefited no-one (including the seahorses). Greg and Mic, you have responsibly proven that commercial seahorse aquaculture is a viable activity. To my mother Jill, thank you for encouraging my interests in the Animal Kingdom and in supporting my academic pursuits. All that rock-turning and bug-hunting as a child did lead somewhere! To the amateur and professional photographers (appropriately acknowledged within the thesis) who kindly and unselfishly allowed me to use their syngnathid images, thank you. The bulk of this research was carried out with funding provided to NIWA from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) (Contracts CO2X0002 & CO1X0207). This funding is gratefully acknowledged. All the research conducted in this thesis was done so with approval from the NIWA Animal Ethics Committee. This thesis is dedicated to my family Angela, words cannot adequately express my gratitude for your enduring love and support throughout the life of this long project. Thank you. May love be your only load. To Alex and Cameron, thank you for being great little friends and helpers and for bringing perspective to life.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Ouroboros Model, Proposal for Self-Organizing General Cognition Substantiated
    Opinion The Ouroboros Model, Proposal for Self-Organizing General Cognition Substantiated Knud Thomsen Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; [email protected] Abstract: The Ouroboros Model has been proposed as a biologically-inspired comprehensive cog- nitive architecture for general intelligence, comprising natural and artificial manifestations. The approach addresses very diverse fundamental desiderata of research in natural cognition and also artificial intelligence, AI. Here, it is described how the postulated structures have met with supportive evidence over recent years. The associated hypothesized processes could remedy pressing problems plaguing many, and even the most powerful current implementations of AI, including in particular deep neural networks. Some selected recent findings from very different fields are summoned, which illustrate the status and substantiate the proposal. Keywords: biological inspired cognitive architecture; deep neural networks; auto-catalytic genera- tion; self-reflective control; efficiency; robustness; common sense; transparency; trustworthiness 1. Introduction The Ouroboros Model was conceptualized as the basic structure for efficient self- Citation: Thomsen, K. The organizing cognition some time ago [1]. The intention there was to explain facets of natural Ouroboros Model, Proposal for cognition and to derive design recommendations for general artificial intelligence at the Self-Organizing General Cognition same time. Whereas it has been argued based on general considerations that this approach Substantiated. AI 2021, 2, 89–105. can shed some light on a wide variety of topics and problems, in terms of specific and https://doi.org/10.3390/ai2010007 comprehensive implementations the Ouroboros Model still is severely underexplored. Beyond some very rudimentary realizations in safeguards and safety installations, no Academic Editors: Rafał Drezewski˙ actual artificially intelligent system of this type has been built so far.
    [Show full text]
  • REVIEW Physiological Dependence on Copulation in Parthenogenetic Females Can Reduce the Cost of Sex
    ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 2004, 67, 811e822 doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.05.014 REVIEW Physiological dependence on copulation in parthenogenetic females can reduce the cost of sex M. NEIMAN Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington (Received 6 December 2002; initial acceptance 10 April 2003; final acceptance 27 May 2003; MS. number: ARV-25) Despite the two-fold reproductive advantage of asexual over sexual reproduction, the majority of eukaryotic species are sexual. Why sex is so widespread is still unknown and remains one of the most important unanswered questions in evolutionary biology. Although there are several hypothesized mechanisms for the maintenance of sex, all require assumptions that may limit their applicability. I suggest that the maintenance of sex may be aided by the detrimental retention of ancestral traits related to sexual reproduction in the asexual descendants of sexual taxa. This reasoning is based on the fact that successful reproduction in many obligately sexual species is dependent upon the behavioural, physical and physiological cues that accompany sperm delivery. More specifically, I suggest that although parthenogenetic (asexual) females have no need for sperm per se, parthenogens descended from sexual ancestors may not be able to reach their full reproductive potential in the absence of the various stimuli provided by copulatory behaviour. This mechanism is novel in assuming no intrinsic advantage to producing genetically variable offspring; rather, sex is maintained simply through phylogenetic constraint. I review and synthesize relevant literature and data showing that access to males and copulation increases reproductive output in both sexual and parthenogenetic females. These findings suggest that the current predominance of sexual reproduction, despite its well-documented drawbacks, could in part be due to the retention of physiological dependence on copulatory stimuli in parthenogenetic females.
    [Show full text]
  • Courtship & Mating Reproduction in Insects
    Reproduction Courtship & Mating in Insects • How do the sexes find each other? – Light – Swarming (male only/ female only) – Leks (male aggregations) • Defend territory against males • Court arriving females – Pheromones What do they do once they find each other? Courtship • Close range intersexual behavior that induces sexual receptivity before and during mating. • Allows mate choice among and within species. 1 Types of Courtship • Visual displays Nuptial Gifts • Ritualized movements • 3 forms • Sound production – Cannibalization of males • Tactile stimulation – Glandular product • Nuptial gifts – Nuptial gift • Prey • Salt, nutrients Evolution of nuptial feeding Sexual Cannibalization • Female advantages • Rather extreme – Nutritional benefit • Male actually does not – Mate choice (mate with good provider) willingly give himself • Male advantages up… – Helping provision/produce his offspring – Where would its potential – Female returns sperm while feeding rather than reproductive benefit be? mating with someone else • Do females have • Male costs increased reproductive – Capturing food costs energy and incurs predation success? risk – Prey can be stolen and used by another male. 2 Glandular gifts Nuptial gifts • Often part of the spermatophore (sperm transfer unit) – Occupy female while sperm is being transferred – Parental investment by male • Generally a food item (usually prey) • Also regurgitations (some flies) • But beware the Cubic Zirconia, ladies Sexual selection Types of sexual selection • Intrasexual selection – Contest competition
    [Show full text]
  • Fishes of Terengganu East Coast of Malay Peninsula, Malaysia Ii Iii
    i Fishes of Terengganu East coast of Malay Peninsula, Malaysia ii iii Edited by Mizuki Matsunuma, Hiroyuki Motomura, Keiichi Matsuura, Noor Azhar M. Shazili and Mohd Azmi Ambak Photographed by Masatoshi Meguro and Mizuki Matsunuma iv Copy Right © 2011 by the National Museum of Nature and Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Kagoshima University Museum All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Copyrights of the specimen photographs are held by the Kagoshima Uni- versity Museum. For bibliographic purposes this book should be cited as follows: Matsunuma, M., H. Motomura, K. Matsuura, N. A. M. Shazili and M. A. Ambak (eds.). 2011 (Nov.). Fishes of Terengganu – east coast of Malay Peninsula, Malaysia. National Museum of Nature and Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Kagoshima University Museum, ix + 251 pages. ISBN 978-4-87803-036-9 Corresponding editor: Hiroyuki Motomura (e-mail: [email protected]) v Preface Tropical seas in Southeast Asian countries are well known for their rich fish diversity found in various environments such as beautiful coral reefs, mud flats, sandy beaches, mangroves, and estuaries around river mouths. The South China Sea is a major water body containing a large and diverse fish fauna. However, many areas of the South China Sea, particularly in Malaysia and Vietnam, have been poorly studied in terms of fish taxonomy and diversity. Local fish scientists and students have frequently faced difficulty when try- ing to identify fishes in their home countries. During the International Training Program of the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (ITP of JSPS), two graduate students of Kagoshima University, Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Teleostei, Syngnathidae)
    ZooKeys 934: 141–156 (2020) A peer-reviewed open-access journal doi: 10.3897/zookeys.934.50924 RESEARCH ARTICLE https://zookeys.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity research Hippocampus nalu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from South Africa, and the first record of a pygmy seahorse from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei, Syngnathidae) Graham Short1,2,3, Louw Claassens4,5,6, Richard Smith4, Maarten De Brauwer7, Healy Hamilton4,8, Michael Stat9, David Harasti4,10 1 Research Associate, Ichthyology, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, Australia 2 Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA 3 Ichthyology, Burke Museum, Seattle, USA 4 IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish Stickleback Specialist Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada5 Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa 6 Knysna Basin Project, Knysna, South Africa 7 University of Leeds, Leeds, UK 8 NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, USA 9 University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia 10 Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, NSW, Australia Corresponding author: Graham Short ([email protected]) Academic editor: Nina Bogutskaya | Received 13 February 2020 | Accepted 12 April 2020 | Published 19 May 2020 http://zoobank.org/E9104D84-BB71-4533-BB7A-2DB3BD4E4B5E Citation: Short G, Claassens L, Smith R, De Brauwer M, Hamilton H, Stat M, Harasti D (2020) Hippocampus nalu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from South Africa, and the first record of a pygmy seahorse from the Indian Ocean (Teleostei, Syngnathidae). ZooKeys 934: 141–156. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.934.50924 Abstract A new species and the first confirmed record of a true pygmy seahorse from Africa,Hippocampus nalu sp. nov., is herein described on the basis of two specimens, 18.9–22 mm SL, collected from flat sandy coral reef at 14–17 meters depth from Sodwana Bay, South Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Life History of Syngnathus Abaster
    Journal of Fish Biology (2006) 68, 80–86 doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2005.00878.x,availableonlineathttp://www.blackwell-synergy.com Early life history of Syngnathus abaster K. SILVA*†‡, N. M. MONTEIRO*†, V. C. ALMADA§ AND M. N. VIEIRA*† *Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia da Faculdade de Cieˆncias da Universidade do Porto, Prac¸ a Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal,†CIIMAR, Rua dos Bragas 177, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal and §ISPA, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal (Received 2 February 2005, Accepted 15 June 2005) The embryonic and larval development of the pipefish Syngnathus abaster is described, based on ex situ observations. The full development sequence lasted 24–32 days (at 18–19 C), which was shortened to 21 days at higher temperatures (21–22 C). Newborn juveniles, with a uniform dark brown colouration, immediately assumed a benthic spatial distribution. This vertical distribution pattern remained unchanged at least during the first 4 weeks, after the release from the marsupium. The apparent absence of a pelagic life phase might have important repercussions in terms of population connectivity given increasing fragmentation and degrada- tion of the eelgrass habitat in the species’ range. # 2006 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles INTRODUCTION The Syngnathidae (pipefishes, pipehorses, seadragons and seahorses) exhibits one of the most specialized forms of parental care, with females depositing eggs in a specialized incubating area, located either on the abdomen (Gastrophori) or tail (Urophori) of the males (Herald, 1959). Even though male pregnancy is a widespread characteristic in all syngnathids, the anatomical complexity of the brooding structures varies among species, from the simplest incubating ventral surface of the Nerophinae, where eggs are glued without any protective plates or membranes, to the Hippocampinae sealed brood pouch.
    [Show full text]
  • Order GASTEROSTEIFORMES PEGASIDAE Eurypegasus Draconis
    click for previous page 2262 Bony Fishes Order GASTEROSTEIFORMES PEGASIDAE Seamoths (seadragons) by T.W. Pietsch and W.A. Palsson iagnostic characters: Small fishes (to 18 cm total length); body depressed, completely encased in Dfused dermal plates; tail encircled by 8 to 14 laterally articulating, or fused, bony rings. Nasal bones elongate, fused, forming a rostrum; mouth inferior. Gill opening restricted to a small hole on dorsolat- eral surface behind head. Spinous dorsal fin absent; soft dorsal and anal fins each with 5 rays, placed posteriorly on body. Caudal fin with 8 unbranched rays. Pectoral fins large, wing-like, inserted horizon- tally, composed of 9 to 19 unbranched, soft or spinous-soft rays; pectoral-fin rays interconnected by broad, transparent membranes. Pelvic fins thoracic, tentacle-like,withI spine and 2 or 3 unbranched soft rays. Colour: in life highly variable, apparently capable of rapid colour change to match substrata; head and body light to dark brown, olive-brown, reddish brown, or almost black, with dorsal and lateral surfaces usually darker than ventral surface; dorsal and lateral body surface often with fine, dark brown reticulations or mottled lines, sometimes with irregular white or yellow blotches; tail rings often encircled with dark brown bands; pectoral fins with broad white outer margin and small brown spots forming irregular, longitudinal bands; unpaired fins with small brown spots in irregular rows. dorsal view lateral view Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Benthic, found on sand, gravel, shell-rubble, or muddy bottoms. Collected incidentally by seine, trawl, dredge, or shrimp nets; postlarvae have been taken at surface lights at night.
    [Show full text]
  • The Seahorse Genome and the Evolution of Its Specialized
    OPEN ARTICLE doi:10.1038/nature20595 The seahorse genome and the evolution of its specialized morphology Qiang Lin1*§, Shaohua Fan2†*, Yanhong Zhang1*, Meng Xu3*, Huixian Zhang1,4*, Yulan Yang3*, Alison P. Lee4†, Joost M. Woltering2, Vydianathan Ravi4, Helen M. Gunter2†, Wei Luo1, Zexia Gao5, Zhi Wei Lim4†, Geng Qin1,6, Ralf F. Schneider2, Xin Wang1,6, Peiwen Xiong2, Gang Li1, Kai Wang7, Jiumeng Min3, Chi Zhang3, Ying Qiu8, Jie Bai8, Weiming He3, Chao Bian8, Xinhui Zhang8, Dai Shan3, Hongyue Qu1,6, Ying Sun8, Qiang Gao3, Liangmin Huang1,6, Qiong Shi1,8§, Axel Meyer2§ & Byrappa Venkatesh4,9§ Seahorses have a specialized morphology that includes a toothless tubular mouth, a body covered with bony plates, a male brood pouch, and the absence of caudal and pelvic fins. Here we report the sequencing and de novo assembly of the genome of the tiger tail seahorse, Hippocampus comes. Comparative genomic analysis identifies higher protein and nucleotide evolutionary rates in H. comes compared with other teleost fish genomes. We identified an astacin metalloprotease gene family that has undergone expansion and is highly expressed in the male brood pouch. We also find that the H. comes genome lacks enamel matrix protein-coding proline/glutamine-rich secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein genes, which might have led to the loss of mineralized teeth. tbx4, a regulator of hindlimb development, is also not found in H. comes genome. Knockout of tbx4 in zebrafish showed a ‘pelvic fin-loss’ phenotype similar to that of seahorses. Members of the teleost family Syngnathidae (seahorses, pipefishes de novo. The H. comes genome assembly is of high quality, as > 99% and seadragons) (Extended Data Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Reproductive Ecology & Sexual Selection
    Reproductive Ecology & Sexual Selection REPRODUCTIVE ECOLOGY REPRODUCTION & SEXUAL SELECTION • Asexual • Sexual – Attraction, Courtship, and Mating – Fertilization – Production of Young The Evolutionary Enigma of Benefits of Asex Sexual Reproduction • Sexual reproduction produces fewer reproductive offspring than asexual reproduction, a so-called reproductive handicap 1. Eliminate problem to locate, court, & retain suitable mate. Asexual reproduction Sexual reproduction Generation 1 2. Doubles population growth rate. Female Female 3. Avoid “cost of meiosis”: Generation 2 – genetic representation in later generations isn't reduced by half each time Male 4. Preserve gene pool adapted to local Generation 3 conditions. Generation 4 Figure 23.16 The Energetic Costs of Sexual Reproduction Benefits of Sex • Allocation of Resources 1. Reinforcement of social structure 2. Variability in face of changing environment. – why buy four lottery tickets w/ the same number on them? Relative benefits: Support from organisms both asexual in constant & sexual in changing environments – aphids have wingless female clones & winged male & female dispersers – ciliates conjugate if environment is deteriorating Heyer 1 Reproductive Ecology & Sexual Selection Simultaneous Hermaphrodites TWO SEXES • Advantageous if limited mobility and sperm dispersal and/or low population density • Guarantee that any member of your species encountered is the • Conjugation “right” sex • Self fertilization still provides some genetic variation – Ciliate protozoans with + & - mating
    [Show full text]
  • Courtship Behavior in the Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampuszosterae
    Copeia, 1996(3), pp. 634-640 Courtship Behavior in the Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampuszosterae HEATHER D. MASONJONESAND SARA M. LEWIS The seahorse genus Hippocampus (Syngnathidae) exhibits extreme morpho- logical specialization for paternal care, with males incubating eggs within a highly vascularized brood pouch. Dwarf seahorses, H. zosterae, form monoga- mous pairs that court early each morning until copulation takes place. Daily behavioral observations of seahorse pairs (n = 15) were made from the day of introduction through the day of copulation. Four distinct phases of seahorse courtship are marked by prominent behavioral changes, as well as by differences in the intensity of courtship. The first courtship phase occurs for one or two mornings preceding the day of copulation and is characterized by reciprocal quivering, consisting of rapid side-to-side body vibrations displayed alternately by males and females. The remaining courtship phases are restricted to the day of copulation, with the second courtship phase distinguished by females pointing, during which the head is raised upward. In the third courtship phase, males begin to point in response to female pointing. During the final phase of courtship, seahorse pairs repeatedly rise together in the water column, eventually leading to females transferring their eggs directly into the male brood pouch during a brief midwater copulation. Courtship activity level (representing the percentage of time spent in courtship) increased from relatively low levels during the first courtship phase to highly active courtship on the day of copulation. Males more actively initiated courtship on the days preceding copulation, indicating that these seahorses are not courtship-role reversed, as has previously been assumed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Global Trade in Marine Ornamental Species
    From Ocean to Aquarium The global trade in marine ornamental species Colette Wabnitz, Michelle Taylor, Edmund Green and Tries Razak From Ocean to Aquarium The global trade in marine ornamental species Colette Wabnitz, Michelle Taylor, Edmund Green and Tries Razak ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS UNEP World Conservation This report would not have been The authors would like to thank Helen Monitoring Centre possible without the participation of Corrigan for her help with the analyses 219 Huntingdon Road many colleagues from the Marine of CITES data, and Sarah Ferriss for Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK Aquarium Council, particularly assisting in assembling information Tel: +44 (0) 1223 277314 Aquilino A. Alvarez, Paul Holthus and and analysing Annex D and GMAD data Fax: +44 (0) 1223 277136 Peter Scott, and all trading companies on Hippocampus spp. We are grateful E-mail: [email protected] who made data available to us for to Neville Ash for reviewing and editing Website: www.unep-wcmc.org inclusion into GMAD. The kind earlier versions of the manuscript. Director: Mark Collins assistance of Akbar, John Brandt, Thanks also for additional John Caldwell, Lucy Conway, Emily comments to Katharina Fabricius, THE UNEP WORLD CONSERVATION Corcoran, Keith Davenport, John Daphné Fautin, Bert Hoeksema, Caroline MONITORING CENTRE is the biodiversity Dawes, MM Faugère et Gavand, Cédric Raymakers and Charles Veron; for assessment and policy implemen- Genevois, Thomas Jung, Peter Karn, providing reprints, to Alan Friedlander, tation arm of the United Nations Firoze Nathani, Manfred Menzel, Julie Hawkins, Sherry Larkin and Tom Environment Programme (UNEP), the Davide di Mohtarami, Edward Molou, Ogawa; and for providing the picture on world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organization.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the Americas
    iSeahorse.org – Saving Seahorses Together seahorses of the Americas Seahorses of the Americas Masters of Disguise There are currently fi ve recognized species of Seahorses are well-camoufl aged, and individuals seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) in the Americas, can be covered by seaweeds and sediments in one in the Pacifi c Ocean and four in the the wild. Color and lengths of skin fi laments (“hairs”) Atlantic. All of these American seahorses tend can vary for individuals within the same species to live in relatively shallow coastal areas with and so are NOT useful for identifi cation. Practice 3D-structured habitat, including seagrasses, your identifi cation skills before starting surveys. corals, and mangroves. Above: Potential seahorse habitats. Left to right: coral reef, seagrass bed, mangrove forest. Photos by Tse-Lynn Loh and Ria Tan/Wild Singapore. Seahorse Parts Hippocampus barbouri Coronet Trunk Eye spine Nose spine Dorsal fi n Cheek spines Snout Brood pouch (males only) Tail Female Male In females, the belly does not extend past the bottom of the dorsal fi n. If you are uncertain, it is likely male. Pacifi c Seahorses Don’t Know Which Seahorse Species? How to Photograph for ID For unknown species, record the Head length following characteristics: • Torso length Torso length (distance from top of coronet to base of dorsal fi n) • Head length (from immediately behind the operculum – the fl ap covering the gills – to tip of snout) • Snout length Snout length (from bump immediately in front of the eye to tip of snout) or Take a photo of the side profi le of the seahorse with a ruler and calculate these measurements from the photo.
    [Show full text]