Teleostei (teleosts) >
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) >
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathinae
Etymology: Hippocampus: Greek, ippos = horse + Greek,kampe = curvature (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 20 m (Ref. 42735). Subtropical; 18°S - 26°S (Ref. 75154)
Eastern Indian Ocean: Western Australia. (Shark Bay and Exmouth Gulf).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.8 cm OT male/unsexed; (Ref. 42735)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 22 - 23; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4 - 5. Anal fin rays divided at base; tail rings 36-38; subdorsal spines 4/0,0,1,1 or 5/0,0,1,1,1; nose ridge slightly raised, without a spine; spine above eyes moderately large, angled back and laterally outward; lateral head spine moderately large and recurved; coronet slightly raised, apex with 5 blunt diverging spines; upper shoulder-ring spine of small to moderate size, situated beside gill openings; central shoulder-ring spine of moderate size and directed laterally outward; superior trunk and tail ridges with broad thorn-like blunt spines, enlarged on some rings, at regular intervals; superior tail ridge with tubercle-like spines of moderate size, angled backward; trunk ridges followed by connecting tail ridges with spines and tubercles becoming gradually smaller posteriorly; lateral line with distinct pores, on trunk rings just above lateral ridge, continuing onto tail to 18th-23rd tail ring, each pore between raised papillae (Ref. 42735).
Adults inhabit shallow algae or weedy reef areas from the intertidal to about 20 m depth (Ref. 42735). Maximum length is based on a straight-line length measurement from upper surface (ignoring spines) of first trunk ring, to tip of tail (Ref. 42735). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Male carries the eggs in a brood pouch (Ref. 205).
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)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 18 - 23.8, mean 19.2 °C (based on 107 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 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): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
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).
