Giant seahorse
The Pacific seahorse, also known as the giant seahorse, (Hippocampus ingens) is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. Their genus name (Hippocampus) is derived from the Greek word hippos, which means "horse" and campus, which means "sea monster." This species is the only seahorse species found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PlanktivoreA planktivore is an aquatic organism that feeds on planktonic food, including zooplankton and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are usually photosynthet...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withHippocampus ingens are one of the largest seahorses, with adult pacific seahorses ranging in size from 12 to 19 centimetres (4.7 to 7.5 in) in height, with a maximum known size of 30 centimetres (12 in). Offspring are approximately 9 mm after birth. While large compared to others of their kind, their size hinders them in the conservation world. Minimum size limits are a common and favored conservation tool, usually starting at 10 cm. Thus, it is crucial that Pacific seahorses are accurately measured when they reach sexual maturity, for it determines if they will be protected or not.
Pacific seahorses can be a variety of colors, including green, brown, maroon, grey, and yellow. Males can be distinguished from females by their prominent keel.
Pacific seahorses share the common traits of seahorses, including a prehensile tail used for anchoring, skin instead of scales, a digestive tract without a distinct stomach, no teeth, and the ability to move each eye independently. It is one of the six species listed as "under the greatest threat from unsustainable levels of harvest and international trade" by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES).
The pacific seahorse is distributed in the Pacific Ocean from Baja California to Chile, with an additional transient population off of San Diego.The only known oceanic island population occurs around the Galapagos Islands with some additional populations also located in Northern Peru.
Pacific seahorses are nocturnal and known to inhabit a variety of sub-tidal habitats to a maximum depth of 60 metres (200 ft). Habitats include mangroves, seagrass meadows, rocky reefs, coral reefs and sponges. Other common habitats are sea kelp and eelgrass. They also camouflage around the branches of gorgonians and black corals.
South America specifically is home to an abundance of aquatic ecosystems. As a result, this region is more susceptible to environmental crime and many species such as the Pacific seahorse are affected by this. Furthermore, Peru trades the most pacific seahorses and this environmental crime in this country regarding the species is very high.
The first record of Hippocampus ingens in Guadalupe Island, Mexico, was in November 2015. This is a northern oceanic island, differing from its usual Eastern Pacific locations. The presence of Hippocampus ingens at this new location could be due to the fact that its population is vulnerable as well as long distance dispersal methods, which other seahorse species have recently been doing.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) data did not become available for seahorses until 2004, and thus until then Latin American countries were not thought of to be heavily involved in international seahorse trade. However, it is now known that countries such as Peru and Mexico are some of the greatest culprits of this trade and although the Pacific seahorse is an Eastern Pacific species, its trade and exploitation has gone largely beyond this region.
Hippocampus ingens diet consists of small organisms that live on the bottom of the sea such as mysids, small crustaceans, and other plankton. Like most seahorses, Pacific seahorses are ambush predators, meaning that they camouflage in their habitats and wait for their prey to pass. They then suck their prey in and swallow it whole, for they do not have teeth.
Female pacific seahorses in captivity have been observed producing small broods at three months of age. Sexually mature females often develop a dark patch below the anal fin. Males reach sexual maturity at around 5.4 centimetres (2.1 in) in height. Unsuccessful reproductive activity in captivity has been noted at around three months of age, with successful pregnancies as early as six months of age.
Like all seahorses, females deposit their eggs in the brood pouch of the male, where they are subsequently fertilized by the male and sealed into the pouch. As the embryos develop, the fluid inside the pouch changes in salinity to acclimate the embryos to the salinity of the surrounding sea water. Research suggests that pacific seahorse males can brood up to 2000 eggs at once, and may brood multiple times in a breeding season. At the end of the fourteen day gestation period, the male goes into labor and must force the young out of the pouch one at a time, which sometimes takes hours.
Pacific seahorses face many of the same threats that other seahorses face; over 20 million seahorses are sold each year to be used in Chinese medicine, the aquarium trade, or dried as curios. Mexico and Peru are the largest exporter of pacific seahorses, selling more than 1 dry ton annually. Seahorses are particularly susceptible to over-harvesting due to characteristics such as low fecundity, monogamous mating, long development of embryos, low dispersal ability, and limited geographic distribution. Habitat degradation also poses a threat to Pacific seahorses as humans destroy and pollute their habitats. Commercial fishing also poses as threat to Pacific seahorses as fisherman often catch and kill them in their large fishing nets as bycatch.
Chinese medicine is one of the main risks to the Hippocampus ingens species, thereby making them one of the most vulnerable fish populations in the world. Hippocampus ingens account for the majority of species identified in Chinese medicinal markets around the world in places such as San Francisco's Chinatown. This species specifically is favorable for this industry due to its large size (compared to other seahorses) and smooth texture. Powdered forms of these seahorses are very profitable and thus those who partake in these illegal activities are always finding new ways to conduct their methods. For instance, seahorse powder is not particularly hard to get through customs in many places, for it can be easily disguised as something legal such as plant extract or other substances. These powdered forms are used as "at home remedies" for many common illnesses. For example, some countries mix the powder in various liquids to treat common respiratory illnesses.
Another ways humans exploits seahorses such as the Pacific seahorse is they kill and use them to make crafts and jewelry. Locals will kill seahorses for this reason and sell them to tourists. There are even websites where seahorse products are sold online.
