Half-spined seahorse (Hippocampus semispinosus)

Scientific name: Hippocampus semispinosus Kuiter, 2001

Half-spined seahorse (Hippocampus semispinosus)

The Half-spined seahorse (Hippocampus semispinosus) is a marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. Native range: Western Central Pacific, Indonesia. International trade is monitored through a licensing system (CITES II, since 5.15.04) and a minimum size of 10 cm applies.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4. Trunk rings 11; tail rings 35-36; subdorsal spines 3/0,1,0-0.5, usually enlarged on 11th trunk ring; nose ridge with straight profile and no spine; spine above eye small, length less than eye diameter, angled back; lateral head spine large, about twice in size of eye-spine and recurving; small spine behind eye, placed high above eye center; coronet well developed, with 5-7 diverging blunt spines with rugose tips, posterior spines enlarged and recurving; upper shoulder-ring spine long, situated at gill opening; lower shoulder-ring spine moderately large, with a poorly developed second spine anteriorly; superior trunk and tail ridges with rugose tubercles, enlarged on 1st and 7th rings as broad spines; superior tail ridge with spines of moderate length from 2nd to about 15th ring, somewhat enlarged on 5th and 8th ring, becoming gradually shorter posteriorly; lateral line with pores i

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hippocampus semispinosus
Family
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses)
Order
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and Seahorses)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
18.0
Depth range
40–60 m (131–197 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; depth range 40 - 60 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Central Pacific: Indonesia. International trade is monitored through a licensing system (CITES II, since 5.15.04) and a minimum size of 10 cm applies.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated