Paradoxical seahorse (Hippocampus paradoxus)

Scientific name: Hippocampus paradoxus Foster & Gomon, 2010

The Paradoxical seahorse (Hippocampus paradoxus) is a marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. Native range: Eastern Indian Ocean, Western Australia.

Biology

The holotype was collected from mid-continental shelf benthos (102 m); at this depth, high energy waves sweep the bed of the Great Australian Bight, producing expanses of rippled sand interspersed with sponge and bryozoans stabilised 'islands'. The site has a complex, highly diversed assemblage of bryozoans, including Adeona, a number of bushy flexible species (Family Catenicellidae), 'lace corals' (Fam. Phidoloporidae) and some sponges, on coarse substrate of calcareous sand. The female holotype collected in late July had a greatly distended abdomen holding eleven hydrated oocytes approximately 2 mm in diameter.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hippocampus paradoxus
Family
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses)
Order
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and Seahorses)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
6.46
Depth range
102 m (335 ft)
Environment
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range ? - 102 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean: Western Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (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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