Softcoral seahorse (Hippocampus debelius)

Scientific name: Hippocampus debelius Gomon & Kuiter, 2009

Softcoral seahorse (Hippocampus debelius)

The Softcoral seahorse (Hippocampus debelius) is a marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. Native range: Red Sea, Egypt, Hurghada, Erg Camel. Apparently endemic in the Red Sea.

Biology

Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Anal soft rays: 4. Very small (height 19.2mm, SL 23.7mm); 10 trunk rings; 28 tail rings; inferior and ventral trunk ridges well ossified; 14 dorsal fin rays; 10-11 pectoral fin rays; 4 anal fin rays; brooding area in males posterior to anal fin; medium length snout with a bulbous tip; low, angular coronet; gill opening separate, midway between pectoral fin base and dorsal midline; prominent, long and slender spines on head, trunk and tail; filaments or cirrhi absent; white background, mostly obscured by numerous close-set, brown lengthwise stripes or striations, tips of many of the spines dark brown to black, anterior trunk spines also with dark band centrally.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hippocampus debelius
Family
Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses)
Order
Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and Seahorses)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
2.4
Environment
Marine; reef-associated, usually 15 - 30 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Red Sea: Egypt, Hurghada, Erg Camel. Apparently endemic in the Red Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries:
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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