Hippocampus erectus
| Hippocampus erectus | ||||||||||||
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Hippocampus erectus |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Hippocampus erectus | ||||||||||||
| Perry , 1810 |
Hippocampus erectus is a species of the seahorse genus, lives in the western Atlantic and is endangered according to the IUCN .
description
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This species is quite strong and robust, reaches a maximum body length of 19 centimeters and, depending on the source, can live for around one to four years. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of 5 to 7 months, at which time they develop brood sacs. This neck pouch can be used to distinguish female from male specimens. With a body shape that is typical for seahorses, they have no scales, but only a skin that lies over their bones. The bones are arranged in rows around the torso in a ring shape, forming up to 50 bone plates and thus a skin bone armor that acts like armor for the animal. The first, third, fifth, seventh, and eleventh annular bones are enlarged, which sets them apart from other seahorse species, which typically have a first, fourth, seventh, and eleventh enlarged. Another characteristic of specimens that live in Sargassum is that they form prominent bony outgrowths.
Generally they have a long snout with no teeth and their gills are tufted, pelvic and anal fins are missing. Your crown sits quite low and appears like a triangular wedge with sharp edges or spikes. Your dorsal fin is spineless. The coloration of this seahorse varies greatly, from gray, brown, green, yellow, orange and red to black. While brown specimens are rather paler on the front. The body often has a characteristic pattern of white lines that follow the contour of the neck, to which it owes its English name Lined seahorse . Some specimens also have small white spots on their tail.
distribution
The range of this seahorse is in the western Atlantic and extends from the southern tip of Nova Scotia south along the east coast of the United States , over Bermuda , the Bahamas , the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico , Cuba , Haiti , the Lesser Antilles , the Caribbean coast of Panama via Colombia to Bahia , Brazil . Hippocampus erectus was also found in the Azores, although it is unclear whether a population actually lives there.
Habitat
Hippocampus erectus occurs at depths of 0.5 to 70 meters and is often observed when clinging to aquatic plants such as mangroves, seaweeds, sponges, corals or floating golf rods. Those specimens that swim freely with golf tang often have protuberances and fleshy appendages that aid in camouflage. It can occur both on the surface and at the bottom of shallow water and deep canal areas in bays or beaches. Many specimens are also seen in artificial or man-made structures.
In Brazil it was found in water with a salinity of 45 ‰.
Danger
This seahorse is endangered by the shrimp or crab fishery and especially by trawling , where it is unintentionally caught as bycatch . However, it is also fished specifically, as it is a very popular aquarium fish in North and Central America. In Florida alone, thousands of specimens are caught for aquarium use each year. It is also the sixth most important exported ornamental fish from Brazil and it is sold on the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean coast as a curiosity or souvenir. This species is also used in traditional Chinese medicine , especially Chinese emigrants who lived in Panama and Peru sold it commercially. In this folk medicine, seahorses are dried and then ground. The powder was drunk with a drink and used as a treatment for asthma. In general, these seahorses are also used against alcoholism , thrombosis, bronchitis, impotence, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer and rheumatism. These animals are endangered not only due to the active use of humans, but also due to massive environmental pollution, the preferred habitats such as mangroves, sea grasses or coral reefs are being destroyed more and more. The quality of life in their habitats suffers due to pollution and sediment loads.
protection
The entire genus Hippocampus was listed in Appendix II of the Washington Convention on the Protection of Species in November 2002 , which means that commercial trade is possible after a safety assessment by the exporting country. In the United States, trade is currently being monitored.
Aquaristics
In principle, the holding of hippocampus erectus is notifiable and it is important to pay attention to appropriate evidence when buying. Furthermore, keeping these seahorses is demanding and should therefore only be considered by experts.
The aquarium in which the hippocampus erectus is kept should offer the animal many opportunities to hold onto objects or plants with its tail, or to clasp them. Options include caulerpa , horn corals , soft corals or fine ceramics. Stinging corals should be avoided because of the stinging poison, the tank should also hold more than 200 liters, higher than 50 centimeters and the flow speed should not be too strong. The seahorse should be fed three to six times a day, preferring live foods such as mysis or brine shrimp . Because of the high frequency of feeding, you should pay attention to a powerful skimmer . They should also be kept in pairs or in groups; it is also possible with other pipefish or mandarin fish .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Hippocampus erectus in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2017-3. Posted by: Pollom, R., 2016-10-03.
- ↑ a b Hippocampus erectus on Fishbase.org (English)
- ↑ a b c Hippocampus erectus (Hippocampus erectus). WESO Software GmbH, accessed on April 19, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g Cathleen Bester: Lined Seahorse. Florida Museum of Natural History, accessed April 19, 2018 .
- ^ A b Rosamond Gifford Zoo Volunteers: Lined Seahorse. July 23, 2005, accessed April 19, 2018 .
- ↑ Lined Seahorse. IUCN UK Office, July 23, 2017, accessed September 19, 2018 .
Web links
- Hippocampus erectus on Fishbase.org (English)