Slender seahorse

The slender seahorse or longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae.[2]

Not to be confused with Long-snouted seahorse.

Slender seahorse
Male and female Hippocampus reidi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Hippocampus
Species:
H. reidi
Binomial name
Hippocampus reidi
Ginsburg, 1933

Description

The slender seahorse typically grows to be approximately 6.8 inches long (17.5 centimeters). Males and females are easily distinguished due to their bright colors. Males are usually orange, while the females are yellow. However, both males and females may have brown or white spots placed sporadically upon their body. These spots may also change into a pink or white color during the courtship period.[3]

Habitat and distribution

The slender seahorse has been found at depths of 55 meters. Smaller individuals inhabit shallower waters. The slender seahorse has an affinity for coral reefs[3] and seagrass beds and can be found on gorgonian coral, seagrass, mangroves, and Sargassum. It is native to many countries, including the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, United States (Florida and North Carolina), and Venezuela.[1] It inhabits subtropical regions, ranging from 29 degrees north to 25 degrees south and 133 degrees west to 40 degrees east.[2] Many H.reidi reside near China and more so in Brazil but in both areas they are at a risk of becoming an endangered species. In China these sea horses are used for trade and for traditionally Chinese medication while in Brazil they are part of a large trading, involving the commercial extraction of 25 million seahorses per year.[4]

Naming

The specific name honors Mr Earl D. Reid of the Division of Fishes at the U.S. National Museum.[5]

References
  1. Oliveira, T.; Pollom, R. (2017). "Hippocampus reidi". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T10082A17025021. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T10082A17025021.en.
  2. Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (6 October 2010). "FishBase".
  3. "Slender seahorse". Monterey Bay Aquarium. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21.
  4. Cividanes da Hora, Maik dos Santos (July 1, 2009). "Closing the reproductive cycle: Growth of the seahorse Hippocampus reidi (Teleostei, Syngnathidae) from birth to adulthood under experimental conditions". Science Direct. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  5. Isaac Ginsburg (1933). "Descriptions of five new species of seahorses". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 23 (12): 560–563.
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