Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) >
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Hippocampinae
Etymology: Hippocampus: Greek, ippos = horse + Greek,kampe = curvature (Ref. 45335); alatus: From the Latin for winged, in reference to the paired spines on the superior trunk ridges that are directed outward and have broad dermal flaps resembling wings.
Issue
This species is a synonym of Hippocampus spinosissimus Weber, 1913 according to Lourie et al., 2016 (Ref. 115213). This species record will be removed.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 10 - 80 m (Ref. 42735). Tropical, preferred ?
Indo-West Pacific: northern Australia (including Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia) and southeastern Papua New Guinea. Also from the Philippines and Indonesia. International trade is monitored through a licensing system (CITES II, since 5.15.04) and a minimum size of 10 cm applies. Formerly classified as vulnerable in the 2000 IUCN red list of threatened species (Ref. 36508).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.7 cm OT male/unsexed; (Ref. 42735); 13.6 cm OT (female)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 15-18;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 4. Dorsal fin rays usually 17; trunk rings 11; tail rings 34-36; subdorsal spines 2-3/0-0.5,1,0-0.5, usually enlarged on 11th trunk ring; nose spine absent; spine above eye of moderate length, reaching pupil diameter; lateral head spine large, usually larger than spine above eye; coronet well developed, with 5-7 blunt spines, apex rough and rugose; upper shoulder-ring spine at gill opening; lower shoulder-ring spine low and thick, very broad when single or divided into two rounded tips; superior trunk and tail ridges with enlarged spines, forming laterally directed pairs at regular intervals with 2-3 on trunk and 3-4 on tail, greatly produced in young and least prominent in males; long and sometimes broad dermal flaps, often frilled along edges, on nape, lateral head spines, and enlarged body spines, usually attached posteriorly and just below tip; lateral line with pores on each trunk ring, running just above inferior ridge, continuing on tail to 12th-15th ring (Ref. 42735).
Adults inhabit soft bottom (Ref. 42735, 75154) of the continental shelf (Ref. 75154). 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).
Kuiter, R.H., 2001. Revision of the Australian seahorses of the genus Hippocampus (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) with descriptions of nine new species. Rec. Aus. Mus. 53:293-340. (Ref. 42735)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00427 (0.00168 - 0.01086), b=3.00 (2.78 - 3.22), 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.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (11 of 100) .
