The longnose seahorse (Hippocampus trimaculatus), also known as the flat-faced seahorse, the low-crowned seahorse, and the three-spot seahorse, is primarily found in shallow seas around Australia and Asia. Its diet consists of plankton and small crustaceans that get sucked in through its snout. This species likes to anchor itself to sea grass while feeding in order to save energy, which is another typical seahorse behavior. Though its appearance can vary, it typically is flat, with a sharp, hook-like cheek and eye spines, with a narrow head and no nose spines. Its color can be golden orange, sandy colored, or even totally black. Some are known to have brown and white zebra-like stripes. In addition, the males are known to be slightly longer on average than females.[4]
Habitat and vulnerability
These seahorses are usually found at depths of 10–100 meters. Recently, however, juvenile flat-nosed seahorses were observed at a depth of less than 0.1 meters, and these could have been the first drifting juvenile seahorses ever recorded along Malacca Strait. This is perhaps strong evidence for the passive long-distance migration in this species[5]
These seahorses generally live in habitats such as gravel or sand bottoms around coral reefs, in muddy estuaries, and near mangroves and are able to live in brackish waters. The flat-faced seahorse is affected by habitat loss; however, it is listed only as vulnerable, not endangered. Its vulnerability is due to a few factors. One large factor is that flat-faced seahorses make up some of the millions of seahorses traded internationally each year, and they are frequently bycatch. Seahorses are frequently harvested and used in traditional Chinese medicine; they are commonly dried and sold as souvenirs in the United States; and they are sold as pets throughout the world. These practices have led the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (abbreviated CITES) to suggest restrictions on the seahorse trade. Though these restrictions are not binding, traders must abide by them to be certified as sustainable. The most relevant restriction is that no seahorse under 10 cm can be harvested.[6]
Reproduction
The size restriction is important because of the way in which seahorses become sexually mature. In flat-faced seahorses, sexual maturity is better predicted by size than by age. For example, populations in the South China Sea and North China Sea both matured at the same size, but those found in the South China Sea were 3 months old while those found in the North China Sea were 5 months old.[7] These seahorses reach sexual maturity before they grow to 10 cm, but there are some other species of seahorses that reach maturity when they are larger than 10 cm, so perhaps this regulation should be revisited for their sake. When flat-faced seahorses mate, the females give their eggs to the males who carry the eggs and give birth to live young. The gestation period ranges from 11–20 days, with an average of 16 days—this variance appears to be based on water temperature. The species had gestation durations of 19 days at 22.5 °C, 16 days at 24 °C and 11 days at 28.5 °C,[8] which is consistent with other members of the Hippocampus genus. Though flat-faced seahorses have been known to reproduce year round in captivity, they reach peak breeding from March to May in the China Sea.[9] Their peak breeding season could vary depending on location, as they reproduce based on the constancy of water temperature.
Genetics
H. trimaculatus is divided into two primary lineages, one on either side of Wallace's Line in Indonesia.[10] In one study, they found that all of the specimens sampled that were used either for Chinese medicine or for souvenirs were from the A lineage on the Asiatic side of Wallace's line.[6] Their sample size was quite small, however, so there would need to be further studies done to determine if one lineage is more at risk than the other.
In a study done by Lourie (2004), it was discovered through cytochrome b sequencing that there are deep genetic breaks among individuals in Southeast Asia that were collected only 800 km away from each other. However, the same study of H. trimaculatus revealed identical genetic haplotypes from specimens collected up to 10,000 km away along the Asian continental shelf. This suggests extensive gene flow over the last 10,000 years.[10]
Footnotes
^Wiswedel, S. (2015). "Hippocampus trimaculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T10087A17252219. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T10087A17252219.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
^Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Hippocampus trimaculatus" in FishBase. February 2018 version.
^Foster, S. J., and A. C. J. Vincent. “Life History and Ecology of Seahorses: Implications for Conservation and Management.” Journal of Fish Biology, vol. 65, no. 1, 2004, pp. 1–61.,doi:10.1111/j.0022-1112.2004.00429.x.
^Wong, Nur Leena, and Jun Chin Teh. “Direct Observation of Drifting Juvenile Seahorse Hippocampus Trimaculatus (Leach, 1814) beneath the Offshore Surface at Malacca Strait.” Check List, vol. 13, no. 6, 2017, pp. 993–996., doi:10.15560/13.6.993.
^ abSanders, Jon G., et al. “The Tip of the Tail: Molecular Identification of Seahorses for Sale in Apothecary Shops and Curio Stores in California.” Conservation Genetics, vol. 9, no. 1, 2007, pp. 65–71., doi:10.1007/s10592-007-9308-0.
^Cai, N., Xu, Q., Yu, F., Wu, X.& Sun, G. 1984a. Studies on the reproduction of the seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus. Studia Marina Sinica23, 83–93
^Cai, N., Xu, Q., Yu, F., Wu, X.& Sun, G. 1984b. Development of embryo of Hippocampustrimaculatus. Studia Marina Sinica23, 95–104.
^Truong, S. K. & Nga, T. N. M. 1995. Reproduction of two species seahorses Hippocampushistrix and H. trimaculatus in Binhthuan waters. Bao Cao Khoa Hoc27, 68.
^ abLourie, S. A. 2004. Phylogeography of Southeast Asian seahorses in a conservation context. PhD thesis, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
References
Cai, N., Xu, Q., Yu, F., Wu, X.& Sun, G. 1984a. Studies on the reproduction of the seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus. Studia Marina Sinica23, 83–93
Cai, N., Xu, Q., Yu, F., Wu, X.& Sun, G. 1984b. Development of embryo of Hippocampustrimaculatus. Studia Marina Sinica23, 95–104.
Foster, S. J., and A. C. J. Vincent. “Life History and Ecology of Seahorses: Implications for Conservation and Management.” Journal of Fish Biology, vol. 65, no. 1, 2004, pp. 1–61., doi:10.1111/j.0022-1112.2004.00429.x.
Lourie, S. A. 2004. Phylogeography of Southeast Asian seahorses in a conservation context. PhD thesis, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Sanders, Jon G., et al. “The Tip of the Tail: Molecular Identification of Seahorses for Sale in Apothecary Shops and Curio Stores in California.” Conservation Genetics, vol. 9, no. 1, 2007, pp. 65–71., doi:10.1007/s10592-007-9308-0.
Truong, S. K. & Nga, T. N. M. 1995. Reproduction of two species seahorses Hippocampushistrix and H. trimaculatus in Binhthuan waters. Bao Cao Khoa Hoc27, 68.
Wong, Nur Leena, and Jun Chin Teh. “Direct Observation of Drifting Juvenile Seahorse Hippocampus Trimaculatus (Leach, 1814) beneath the Offshore Surface at Malacca Strait.” Check List, vol. 13, no. 6, 2017, pp. 993–996., doi:10.15560/13.6.993.
Further reading
iSeahorse
IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish & Stickleback Specialist Group
Fishes of Australia : Hippocampus trimaculatus
May 21, 2023
flat, faced, seahorse, flat, faced, seahorse, longnose, seahorse, crowned, seahorse, three, spot, seahorse, hippocampus, trimaculatus, species, fish, family, syngnathidae, found, australia, cocos, keeling, islands, french, polynesia, hong, kong, india, indones. The flat faced seahorse longnose seahorse low crowned seahorse or three spot seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae It is found in Australia Cocos Keeling Islands French Polynesia Hong Kong India Indonesia Japan the Philippines Singapore Taiwan Thailand and Vietnam Its natural habitat is shallow seas It is threatened by habitat loss Flat faced seahorseConservation statusVulnerable IUCN 3 1 1 CITES Appendix II CITES 2 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder SyngnathiformesFamily SyngnathidaeGenus HippocampusSpecies H trimaculatusBinomial nameHippocampus trimaculatusLeach 1814Synonyms 3 Hippocampus kampylotrachelos Bleeker 1854Hippocampus manadensis Bleeker 1856Hippocampus mannulus Cantor 1850Hippocampus lenis De Vis 1908Hippocampus takakurae Tanaka 1916 Contents 1 Description 2 Habitat and vulnerability 3 Reproduction 4 Genetics 5 Footnotes 6 References 7 Further readingDescription EditThe longnose seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus also known as the flat faced seahorse the low crowned seahorse and the three spot seahorse is primarily found in shallow seas around Australia and Asia Its diet consists of plankton and small crustaceans that get sucked in through its snout This species likes to anchor itself to sea grass while feeding in order to save energy which is another typical seahorse behavior Though its appearance can vary it typically is flat with a sharp hook like cheek and eye spines with a narrow head and no nose spines Its color can be golden orange sandy colored or even totally black Some are known to have brown and white zebra like stripes In addition the males are known to be slightly longer on average than females 4 Habitat and vulnerability EditThese seahorses are usually found at depths of 10 100 meters Recently however juvenile flat nosed seahorses were observed at a depth of less than 0 1 meters and these could have been the first drifting juvenile seahorses ever recorded along Malacca Strait This is perhaps strong evidence for the passive long distance migration in this species 5 These seahorses generally live in habitats such as gravel or sand bottoms around coral reefs in muddy estuaries and near mangroves and are able to live in brackish waters The flat faced seahorse is affected by habitat loss however it is listed only as vulnerable not endangered Its vulnerability is due to a few factors One large factor is that flat faced seahorses make up some of the millions of seahorses traded internationally each year and they are frequently bycatch Seahorses are frequently harvested and used in traditional Chinese medicine they are commonly dried and sold as souvenirs in the United States and they are sold as pets throughout the world These practices have led the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora abbreviated CITES to suggest restrictions on the seahorse trade Though these restrictions are not binding traders must abide by them to be certified as sustainable The most relevant restriction is that no seahorse under 10 cm can be harvested 6 Reproduction EditThe size restriction is important because of the way in which seahorses become sexually mature In flat faced seahorses sexual maturity is better predicted by size than by age For example populations in the South China Sea and North China Sea both matured at the same size but those found in the South China Sea were 3 months old while those found in the North China Sea were 5 months old 7 These seahorses reach sexual maturity before they grow to 10 cm but there are some other species of seahorses that reach maturity when they are larger than 10 cm so perhaps this regulation should be revisited for their sake When flat faced seahorses mate the females give their eggs to the males who carry the eggs and give birth to live young The gestation period ranges from 11 20 days with an average of 16 days this variance appears to be based on water temperature The species had gestation durations of 19 days at 22 5 C 16 days at 24 C and 11 days at 28 5 C 8 which is consistent with other members of the Hippocampus genus Though flat faced seahorses have been known to reproduce year round in captivity they reach peak breeding from March to May in the China Sea 9 Their peak breeding season could vary depending on location as they reproduce based on the constancy of water temperature Genetics EditH trimaculatus is divided into two primary lineages one on either side of Wallace s Line in Indonesia 10 In one study they found that all of the specimens sampled that were used either for Chinese medicine or for souvenirs were from the A lineage on the Asiatic side of Wallace s line 6 Their sample size was quite small however so there would need to be further studies done to determine if one lineage is more at risk than the other In a study done by Lourie 2004 it was discovered through cytochrome b sequencing that there are deep genetic breaks among individuals in Southeast Asia that were collected only 800 km away from each other However the same study of H trimaculatus revealed identical genetic haplotypes from specimens collected up to 10 000 km away along the Asian continental shelf This suggests extensive gene flow over the last 10 000 years 10 Footnotes Edit Wiswedel S 2015 Hippocampus trimaculatus IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015 e T10087A17252219 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2015 2 RLTS T10087A17252219 en Retrieved 15 November 2021 Appendices CITES cites org Retrieved 2022 01 14 Froese Rainer Pauly Daniel eds 2018 Hippocampus trimaculatus in FishBase February 2018 version Foster S J and A C J Vincent Life History and Ecology of Seahorses Implications for Conservation and Management Journal of Fish Biology vol 65 no 1 2004 pp 1 61 doi 10 1111 j 0022 1112 2004 00429 x Wong Nur Leena and Jun Chin Teh Direct Observation of Drifting Juvenile Seahorse Hippocampus Trimaculatus Leach 1814 beneath the Offshore Surface at Malacca Strait Check List vol 13 no 6 2017 pp 993 996 doi 10 15560 13 6 993 a b Sanders Jon G et al The Tip of the Tail Molecular Identification of Seahorses for Sale in Apothecary Shops and Curio Stores in California Conservation Genetics vol 9 no 1 2007 pp 65 71 doi 10 1007 s10592 007 9308 0 Cai N Xu Q Yu F Wu X amp Sun G 1984a Studies on the reproduction of the seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus Studia Marina Sinica 23 83 93 Cai N Xu Q Yu F Wu X amp Sun G 1984b Development of embryo of Hippocampus trimaculatus Studia Marina Sinica 23 95 104 Truong S K amp Nga T N M 1995 Reproduction of two species seahorses Hippocampus histrix and H trimaculatus in Binhthuan waters Bao Cao Khoa Hoc 27 68 a b Lourie S A 2004 Phylogeography of Southeast Asian seahorses in a conservation context PhD thesis McGill University Montreal Canada References EditCai N Xu Q Yu F Wu X amp Sun G 1984a Studies on the reproduction of the seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus Studia Marina Sinica 23 83 93 Cai N Xu Q Yu F Wu X amp Sun G 1984b Development of embryo of Hippocampus trimaculatus Studia Marina Sinica 23 95 104 Foster S J and A C J Vincent Life History and Ecology of Seahorses Implications for Conservation and Management Journal of Fish Biology vol 65 no 1 2004 pp 1 61 doi 10 1111 j 0022 1112 2004 00429 x Lourie S A 2004 Phylogeography of Southeast Asian seahorses in a conservation context PhD thesis McGill University Montreal Canada Sanders Jon G et al The Tip of the Tail Molecular Identification of Seahorses for Sale in Apothecary Shops and Curio Stores in California Conservation Genetics vol 9 no 1 2007 pp 65 71 doi 10 1007 s10592 007 9308 0 Truong S K amp Nga T N M 1995 Reproduction of two species seahorses Hippocampus histrix and H trimaculatus in Binhthuan waters Bao Cao Khoa Hoc 27 68 Wong Nur Leena and Jun Chin Teh Direct Observation of Drifting Juvenile Seahorse Hippocampus Trimaculatus Leach 1814 beneath the Offshore Surface at Malacca Strait Check List vol 13 no 6 2017 pp 993 996 doi 10 15560 13 6 993 Further reading EditiSeahorse IUCN Seahorse Pipefish amp Stickleback Specialist Group Fishes of Australia Hippocampus trimaculatus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flat faced seahorse amp oldid 1153020802, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
