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Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852

Spotted seahorse
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Hippocampus kuda   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Hippocampus kuda (Spotted seahorse)
Hippocampus kuda
Picture by Greenfield, 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: Bleeker.

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

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 68 m (Ref. 37816), usually 0 - 8 m (Ref. 90102). Tropical; 39°N - 28°S, 32°E - 154°W (Ref. 57009)

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

Indo-Pacific: southern Africa, the Red Sea to Hawaii and French Polynesia; north to Japan, south to Australia.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 14.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1602)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 18; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit seagrass and marine algae areas of estuaries and seaward reefs; also on steep mud slopes. Found in open water and attached to drifting Sargassum up to 20 km from shore. Adults in pairs (Ref. 48635). Benthic to pelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on zooplankton (Ref. 85309). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The males carry the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205). Not shown to be monogamous in the laboratory (Ref. 30915). Very popular aquarium fish. Highly valued species in traditional Chinese medicine (Ref. 30915). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35416).

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

There are 20 - 1000 larvae in incubating sacks; time of development is 20-28 days. The males carry the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Lourie, S.A., R.A. Pollom and S.J. Foster, 2016. A global revision of the seahorses Hippocampus Rafinesque 1810 (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes): taxonomy and biogeography with recommendations for further research. Zootaxa 4146(1):1-66. (Ref. 115213)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2cd+3cd+4cd); Date assessed: 16 August 2012

CITES

Appendix II: International trade monitored

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Appendix II: Migratory species conserved through agreements

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

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

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
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Otolith
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Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
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Visual pigments
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Toxicity (LC50s)
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Genetics
Heterozygosity
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Taxonomy
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References
References

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): 21.3 - 29, mean 27.8 °C (based on 1008 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=2.99 (2.77 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.6   ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Generation time: 1.1 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2 growth studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=0.6; Fec=20-1000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (15 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 120 [63, 293] mg/100g; Iron = 1.43 [0.71, 2.71] mg/100g; Protein = 18.2 [16.8, 19.6] %; Omega3 = 0.117 [0.048, 0.280] g/100g; Selenium = 80.9 [32.1, 214.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 26.5 [6.8, 105.4] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.06 [1.22, 3.28] mg/100g (wet weight);