Monte Bello seahorse (Hippocampus montebelloensis)

Scientific name: Hippocampus montebelloensis Kuiter, 2001

Monte Bello seahorse (Hippocampus montebelloensis)

The Monte Bello seahorse (Hippocampus montebelloensis) is a marine fish of the family Syngnathidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18-19. Trunk rings 11; tail rings 37; subdorsal spines 3/0,1,0; spine above eye of moderate size, length about pupil-diameter, slightly angled back; moderately large and recurving lateral head spine; long, forward-directed nape spine; nose profile straight; coronet moderately high, with spines on corners, posterior 3 largest and directed backward; 3 spines of moderate size on shoulder ring, uppermost and central spines at end of pectoral-fin base, lowermost ventrally; superior trunk ridge with spines of small to moderate size on rings 1, 4, 7 and 11, extended by long dermal flaps at spine tips in holotype; superior tail ridge similar to superior trunk ridge, with enlarged spines at regular intervals, becoming progressively smaller posteriorly.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hippocampus montebelloensis
Family
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses)
Order
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and Seahorses)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
7.8
Environment
Marine; pelagic-neritic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean: known only from Monte Bello Islands and Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia. International trade is monitored through a licensing system (CITES II, since 5.15.04).
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.

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