Hippocampus kuda: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Species of seahorse}} |
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{{Taxobox |
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{{More citations needed|date=May 2023}} |
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| image = Seahorse2.JPG |
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{{Speciesbox |
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| image_caption = ''Seahorse'' |
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| image = Hal - Hippocampus kuda - 4.jpg |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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| status = VU |
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| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
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| classis = [[Actinopterygii]] |
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| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 15 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Aylesworth, L. |date=2014 |title=''Hippocampus kuda'' |volume=2014 |page=e.T10075A16664386 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T10075A16664386.en |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref> |
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| ordo = [[Syngnathiformes]] |
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| status2 = CITES_A2 |
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| familia = [[Syngnathidae]] |
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| status2_system = CITES |
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| genus = ''Hippocampus'' |
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| status2_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref> |
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| species = '''''kuda''''' |
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| taxon = Hippocampus kuda |
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| authority = [[Pieter Bleeker|Bleeker]], 1852 |
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| binomial_authority = Bleeker, 1852<ref>http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/10075</ref> |
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| synonyms = *''Hippocampus fuscus'' <small>[[Eduard Rüppell|Rüppell]], 1838</small> |
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*''Hippocampus moluccensis'' <small>Bleeker, 1852</small> |
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*''Hippocampus taeniopterus'' <small>Bleeker, 1852</small> |
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*''Hippocampus polytaenia'' <small>Bleeker, 1854</small> |
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*''Hippocampus melanospilos'' <small>Bleeker, 1854</small> |
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*''Hippocampus chinensis'' <small>[[Stepan Ivanovich Basilewsky|Basilewsky]], 1855</small> |
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*''Hippocampus rhynchomacer'' <small>[[Auguste Duméril|Duméril]], 1870</small> |
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*''Hippocampus borboniensis'' <small>Duméril, 1870</small> |
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*''Hippocampus tristis'' <small>[[Francis de Laporte de Castelnau|Castelnau]], 1872</small> |
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*''Hippocampus aterrimus'' <small>[[David Starr Jordan|Jordan]] & [[John Otterbein Snyder|Snyder]], 1902</small> |
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*''Hippocampus hilonis'' <small>Jordan & Evermann, 1903</small> |
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*''Hippocampus taeniops'' <small>Fowler, 1904</small> |
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*''Hippocampus natalensis'' <small>{[[Cecil von Bonde|von Bonde]], 1923</small> |
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*''Hippocampus horai'' <small>[[Georg Duncker|Duncker]], 1926</small> |
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*''Hippocampus novaehebudorum'' <small>[[Henry Weed Fowler|Fowler]], 1944</small> |
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*''Hippocampus raji'' <small>[[Gilbert Percy Whitley|Whitley]], 1955</small> |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''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''. |
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'''''Hippocampus kuda''''', also known as the '''common seahorse''', is a member of the family [[Syngnathidae]] of the order [[Syngnathiformes]]. The common sea horse is a small, [[equine]]-like fish, with extraordinary breeding methods.<ref>Eyewitness Handbooks Aquarium Fish The visual guide to more than 500 marine and freshwater fish varieties by Dick Mills. Page 281.</ref> [[Greeks]] and [[Romans]] believed the seahorse was an attribute of the sea god [[Neptune]]/[[Poseidon]], and the seahorse was considered a symbol of strength and power. [[Europe|Eurpeans]] believed that the seahorse carried the souls of deceased [[sailors]] to the [[underworld]] - giving them safe passage and protection until they met their soul's destination.<ref>http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-meaning-of-the-seahorse.html</ref> The common seahorse is considered a vulnerable species.<ref>http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/10075</ref> |
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== |
== Physical description == |
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The yellow seahorse is a small fish that can reach a length of 17–30 cm. The body is quite large, elongated, and has no spines, all bumps are rounded. The head is relatively large compared to the body. The snout is short and thick. The coronet is small and rises towards the rear, it can also sometimes have more or less long filaments. Some adults have a black line running through the dorsal fin in the direction of its width. The body coloration is often dark with a grainy texture but can also be yellow, cream, or reddish blotches and numerous small dark spots. |
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[[File:Pregnant seahorse4.JPG|thumb|left|This "pregnant" male will soon "give birth"]] |
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The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch on his lower abdomen. After courtship the pair come close together so that the female's oviduct is close to, if not resting on, the brood pouch of the male, and the female expels some eggs into the pouch. This happens several times until spawning is complete. The male then wiggles about, as if to rearrange the eggs within his pouch. The exact point at which fertilization takes place is not known, though many assume that it is when the eggs are in the pouch. The incubation period is generally four to five weeks. To "give birth" the male bends forwards and then backwards, thrusting his pouch forward expelling one or two youngsters with explosive force. Raising the fry in the aquarium is difficult, as they require a large amount of miniscule live food.<ref>"The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish & Fish Care" by Mary Bailey & Gina Sandford. page 239</ref> |
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The seahorse possesses a tail that is used as a bending and grasping appendage. The seahorse is able to bend its tail ventrally due to its possession of body plates. The hypoxia muscle is responsible for bending the seahorse's tail. The plates send forces to the hypoxia muscles to ensure bending of the tail. These functions of the musculoskeletal system allow us to understand the anatomy of seahorses in further depth. |
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==Habitat and distribution== |
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The common seahorse inhabits shallow coastal waters throughout the [[Indo-Pacific]] oceans.<ref>Eyewitness Handbooks Aquarium Fish The visual guide to more than 500 marine and freshwater fish varieties by Dick Mills. Page 281</ref> In the wild seahorse are found mainly among coral reefs, and shallow estuaries. They use their tails to anchor themselves to coral branchs.<ref>"The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish & Fish Care" by Mary Bailey & Gina Sandford. page 239</ref> |
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== |
== Distribution and habitat == |
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''Hippocampus kuda'' inhabits waters from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and several Pacific islands including Hawaii, and is also found the eastern coast of Africa from Tanzania to South Africa, including the Indo-Pacific region ranging from the northwest Indian Ocean to the central areas of the Pacific Ocean. The majority of ''H. kuda'' populates the Chinese coast down to Australia. |
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The sea horse's swimming position is vertical, with slight inclinations forward or backward, depending on direction of travel. The body is covered with armored plates. An equinelike head set at right angles to the body ends in a long tubular snout. A bony "coronet" may develop on the head.<ref>Eyewitness Handbooks Aquarium Fish The visual guide to more than 500 marine and freshwater fish varieties by Dick Mills. Page 281</ref> |
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''H. kuda'' inhabit estuaries, lagoons, harbors, littoral zones, and coastal seagrass beds, where they are found in shallow waters of up to fifty-five meters in depth. Their habitat regions can include (but are not limited to) tropical, saltwater, or marine regions. |
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===== Distinguishing between sexes ===== |
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The male seahorse has a small pouch used for carrying fertilised eggs in its lower abdomen. Females are also slightly smaller.<ref>Eyewitness Handbooks Aquarium Fish The visual guide to more than 500 marine and freshwater fish varieties by Dick Mills. Page 281</ref> |
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== Biological development and reproduction == |
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== Aquarium care == |
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The mating system of ''H. kuda'' is completely monogamous. The species engages in a unique courtship ritual before engaging in mating. The male will change its color patterns and dance around the female and while producing a clicking with the coronet. Eventually, the tails of the male and female intertwine and the female will place her eggs into the male's ventral brood pouch via an ovipositor. There may be up to one-thousand eggs in a singular pouch, where the developmental process can last from twenty to twenty-eight days. Birth, however, depends largely on the monsoon patterns, lunar cycles, and water temperature. Males typically go into labor during a full moon, and after birth, the baby seahorses average a length of seven millimeters. |
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== Predation == |
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⚫ | Seahorses spend most of their time |
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''H. kuda'' are omnivores, feeding on minuscule living prey, such as larval fishes and zooplankton, via suction feeding. They are not strong swimmers. Predators of ''H. kuda'' include crabs, rays, tuna, and sea turtles, as well as humans. |
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== Importance to humans == |
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''H. kuda'' are extremely valuable to the [[traditional Chinese medicine]] trade. ''H. kuda'' has been said to regulate nervous, reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems. 25 million seahorses are used every year for medicinal purposes. The largest known exporters of ''H. kuda'' are Vietnam, India, the Philippines, and Thailand. |
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Common seahorse generally do best at a temperature of 72°F-77°F, with around 73°F-75°F being their optimum temp. They do not tolerate temperature spikes above 80°F well.<ref>http://www.seahorse.com/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&Itemid=218&func=view&view=threaded&id=614&catid=2</ref> |
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⚫ | Their optimal pH range is around 8. |
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== In the aquarium == |
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⚫ | ''H. kuda'' is a popular species among aquarium keepers. Common seahorses have very small mouths, eating only small animals like [[brine shrimp]] and even newborn [[guppy|guppies]]. Seahorses need to eat approximately 4–5 times daily. Many aquarists who have kept ''H. kuda'' cultivate their own [[brine shrimp]] and [[rotifers]]. ''[[Daphnia]]'' is eaten when other foods are unavailable.<ref name=bailey>Bailey, Mary; Gina Sandford. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish & Fish Care. p. 239.</ref> |
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⚫ | Seahorses spend most of their time anchoring to coral reefs and branches with their tails because they are poor swimmers. They therefore need similar anchor points in the aquarium. Seahorses like a quiet tank, without large, belligerent fish, and a slow-moving current. Aquarists have found them to be generally accepting of tankmates like ''[[Synchiropus splendidus]]'' and other bottom-dwelling fishes.<ref name=bailey/> |
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[[File:Yellow seahorse in aquarium.jpg|thumb|271x271px|Yellow seahorse in an aquarium]] |
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Common seahorses generally do best at a temperature of {{convert|72|-|77|F|C}}, optimally {{convert|73|-|75|F|C}}. They do not tolerate even spikes above {{convert|80|F|C}} well.<ref>{{cite web |first=Pete |last=Giwojna |url=http://www.seahorse.com/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&Itemid=218&func=view&id=624&view=flat&catid=2 |date=16 January 2006 |title=Re:KH is killing me! |work=Seahorse Forums |publisher=Ocean Rider Club }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2023}} |
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⚫ | Their optimal pH range is around 8.1–8.4.<ref>{{cite web |first=Pete |last=Giwojna |url=http://www.seahorse.com/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&Itemid=218&func=view&view=threaded&id=614&catid=2 |date=6 January 2006 |title=Re:Maybe Seahorses? |work=Seahorse Forums |publisher=Ocean Rider Club }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=May 2023}} The common seahorse can tolerate a range of [[salinity]] from 18 parts per thousand (ppt) to 36 ppt but salinity below about 25ppt should be promptly corrected. About 32 ppt is ideal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seahorse-australia.com.au/pages/aquar_setup.html |title=Setting up your seahorse aquarium |publisher=Seahorse Australia |access-date=2009-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913125246/http://www.seahorse-australia.com.au/pages/aquar_setup.html |archive-date=2009-09-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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==Conservation status== |
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The species is still commonly encountered (especially in Indonesia and New Guinea) but is currently classified as [[vulnerable species|vulnerable]] by the [[IUCN]], as populations face some threat from bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery, targeted catch for the aquarium and traditional medicine trade, and [[habitat destruction]], coupled with low fecundity due to the involved method of parental brood care. Internationally, it is also listed in Appendix II of the [[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]] (CITES), which means that it is not necessarily threatened with extinction, but its trade must still be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Populations of ''H. kuda'' have declined by 30% in the last few decades due to pollution, habitat destruction, and illegal trading in Chinese medicine. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* {{SealifePhotos|212237}} |
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*[https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hippocampus_kuda/ ''Hippocampus kuda'' (Common seahorse)] |
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q716470}} |
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[[ |
[[Category:Hippocampus (genus)|kuda]] |
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[[Category:Fish of the Pacific Ocean]] |
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[[Category:Fish of Oceania]] |
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[[Category:Fish of Southeast Asia]] |
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[[pt:Hippocampus kuda]] |
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[[zh:管海马]] |
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[[Category:Vulnerable fauna of Asia]] |
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[[Category:Vulnerable fauna of Oceania]] |
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[[Category:Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker]] |
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[[Category:Fish described in 1852]] |
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[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]] |
Revision as of 12:59, 21 February 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
Hippocampus kuda | |
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![]() | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Syngnathiformes |
Family: | Syngnathidae |
Genus: | Hippocampus |
Species: | H. kuda
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Binomial name | |
Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852
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Synonyms | |
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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.
Physical description
The yellow seahorse is a small fish that can reach a length of 17–30 cm. The body is quite large, elongated, and has no spines, all bumps are rounded. The head is relatively large compared to the body. The snout is short and thick. The coronet is small and rises towards the rear, it can also sometimes have more or less long filaments. Some adults have a black line running through the dorsal fin in the direction of its width. The body coloration is often dark with a grainy texture but can also be yellow, cream, or reddish blotches and numerous small dark spots.
The seahorse possesses a tail that is used as a bending and grasping appendage. The seahorse is able to bend its tail ventrally due to its possession of body plates. The hypoxia muscle is responsible for bending the seahorse's tail. The plates send forces to the hypoxia muscles to ensure bending of the tail. These functions of the musculoskeletal system allow us to understand the anatomy of seahorses in further depth.
Distribution and habitat
Hippocampus kuda inhabits waters from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and several Pacific islands including Hawaii, and is also found the eastern coast of Africa from Tanzania to South Africa, including the Indo-Pacific region ranging from the northwest Indian Ocean to the central areas of the Pacific Ocean. The majority of H. kuda populates the Chinese coast down to Australia.
H. kuda inhabit estuaries, lagoons, harbors, littoral zones, and coastal seagrass beds, where they are found in shallow waters of up to fifty-five meters in depth. Their habitat regions can include (but are not limited to) tropical, saltwater, or marine regions.
Biological development and reproduction
The mating system of H. kuda is completely monogamous. The species engages in a unique courtship ritual before engaging in mating. The male will change its color patterns and dance around the female and while producing a clicking with the coronet. Eventually, the tails of the male and female intertwine and the female will place her eggs into the male's ventral brood pouch via an ovipositor. There may be up to one-thousand eggs in a singular pouch, where the developmental process can last from twenty to twenty-eight days. Birth, however, depends largely on the monsoon patterns, lunar cycles, and water temperature. Males typically go into labor during a full moon, and after birth, the baby seahorses average a length of seven millimeters.
Predation
H. kuda are omnivores, feeding on minuscule living prey, such as larval fishes and zooplankton, via suction feeding. They are not strong swimmers. Predators of H. kuda include crabs, rays, tuna, and sea turtles, as well as humans.
Importance to humans
H. kuda are extremely valuable to the traditional Chinese medicine trade. H. kuda has been said to regulate nervous, reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems. 25 million seahorses are used every year for medicinal purposes. The largest known exporters of H. kuda are Vietnam, India, the Philippines, and Thailand.
In the aquarium
H. kuda is a popular species among aquarium keepers. Common seahorses have very small mouths, eating only small animals like brine shrimp and even newborn guppies. Seahorses need to eat approximately 4–5 times daily. Many aquarists who have kept H. kuda cultivate their own brine shrimp and rotifers. Daphnia is eaten when other foods are unavailable.[3]
Seahorses spend most of their time anchoring to coral reefs and branches with their tails because they are poor swimmers. They therefore need similar anchor points in the aquarium. Seahorses like a quiet tank, without large, belligerent fish, and a slow-moving current. Aquarists have found them to be generally accepting of tankmates like Synchiropus splendidus and other bottom-dwelling fishes.[3]
Temperature, pH, and salinity
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Yellow_seahorse_in_aquarium.jpg/271px-Yellow_seahorse_in_aquarium.jpg)
Common seahorses generally do best at a temperature of 72–77 °F (22–25 °C), optimally 73–75 °F (23–24 °C). They do not tolerate even spikes above 80 °F (27 °C) well.[4][unreliable source?] Their optimal pH range is around 8.1–8.4.[5][unreliable source?] The common seahorse can tolerate a range of salinity from 18 parts per thousand (ppt) to 36 ppt but salinity below about 25ppt should be promptly corrected. About 32 ppt is ideal.[6]
Conservation status
The species is still commonly encountered (especially in Indonesia and New Guinea) but is currently classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, as populations face some threat from bycatch in the shrimp trawl fishery, targeted catch for the aquarium and traditional medicine trade, and habitat destruction, coupled with low fecundity due to the involved method of parental brood care. Internationally, it is also listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which means that it is not necessarily threatened with extinction, but its trade must still be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Populations of H. kuda have declined by 30% in the last few decades due to pollution, habitat destruction, and illegal trading in Chinese medicine.
References
- ^ Aylesworth, L. (2014). "Hippocampus kuda". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T10075A16664386. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T10075A16664386.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ a b Bailey, Mary; Gina Sandford. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Aquarium Fish & Fish Care. p. 239.
- ^ Giwojna, Pete (16 January 2006). "Re:KH is killing me!". Seahorse Forums. Ocean Rider Club.[dead link]
- ^ Giwojna, Pete (6 January 2006). "Re:Maybe Seahorses?". Seahorse Forums. Ocean Rider Club.[dead link]
- ^ "Setting up your seahorse aquarium". Seahorse Australia. Archived from the original on 2009-09-13. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikispecies-logo.svg/34px-Wikispecies-logo.svg.png)
- Photos of Hippocampus kuda on Sealife Collection
- Hippocampus kuda (Common seahorse)