Hippocampus ingens

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	SYNGNATHIFORMES	SYNGNATHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Hippocampus ingens

Species Authority:

Girard, 1858

Common Name/s:

English	–	Giant Seahorse, Pacific Seahorse, Pacific Seahorse
Spanish	–	Caballito Del Pacifico, Caballito De Mar

Synonym/s:

Hippocampus ecuadorensis Fowler, 1922

Hippocampus gracilis Gill, 1862

Hippocampus hildebrandi Ginsburg, 1933

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable A4cd ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2003

Assessor/s:

Project Seahorse

Reviewer/s:

Foster, S.J., Marsden, A.D. & Vincent, A.C.J. (Syngnathid Red List Authority)

Justification:
H. ingens is listed as Vulnerable (VU A4cd) based on inferred declines of at least 30% caused by targeted catch, incidental capture and habitat degradation. While there is little information on changes in numbers of the species, there is indirect evidence to suggest that declines have taken place and are continuing. This listing is consistent with the precautionary approach of the IUCN.

Hippocampus ingens is traded for traditional medicine, curios and aquaria (Vincent and Perry, in prep.). They are targeted as aquarium fishes in Mexico, and are incidentally caught, as bycatch, by the shrimp trawl fishery and other fisheries along the Pacific coasts of Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama, and are affected by habitat degradation in Mexico and Panama (J. Baum, unpublished data). Fishers' and traders' evidence of declines in seahorse availability raise concern for this species.

History:

1996

–

Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species' range extends from California, USA, south to Peru. Hippocampus ingens are apparently only found at the higher latitudes (for example, California) during periods of increased water temperatures, such as during El Niño (Lourie et al. 1999).
Countries:	Native: Colombia; Costa Rica (Cocos I.); Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico; Panama; Peru; United States (California)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – eastern central; Pacific – southeast

Population [top]

Population:	Project Seahorse trade surveys conducted between 2000–2001 have indicated that seahorse numbers in the wild appear to have declined in the Eastern Pacific, with fishers reporting decreases in catch of H. ingens. In Mexico, 18/21 fishers surveyed on the Pacific coast reported that substantial declines in seahorse catch rates had occurred (J. Baum, unpublished data). In Ecuador shrimp fishers (n=12) reporting a decline in bycatch in the 1990s, with may citing heavy fishing pressure as the cause for the declines (J. Baum, unpublished data), and estimated declines in catch in Guatemala from past catches of 100–150 seahorses per trip, in comparison to average catch estimates of four to 15 seahorses per trip in 2000 (J. Baum, unpublished data).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Project Seahorse trade surveys conducted between 2000–2001 have indicated that seahorse numbers in the wild appear to have declined in the Eastern Pacific, with fishers reporting decreases in catch of H. ingens. In Mexico, 18/21 fishers surveyed on the Pacific coast reported that substantial declines in seahorse catch rates had occurred (J. Baum, unpublished data). In Ecuador shrimp fishers (n=12) reporting a decline in bycatch in the 1990s, with may citing heavy fishing pressure as the cause for the declines (J. Baum, unpublished data), and estimated declines in catch in Guatemala from past catches of 100–150 seahorses per trip, in comparison to average catch estimates of four to 15 seahorses per trip in 2000 (J. Baum, unpublished data).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Hippocampus ingens occurs at depths of 1–20 m (maximum 60 m) (J. Gomezjuardo in litt. in Lourie et al. 1999), and is often found among gorgonians or black coral (Humann 1993 in Lourie et al. 1999). This species may be particularly susceptible to decline. The limited information on habitat suggests they inhabit shallow areas (Lourie et al. 1999) that are susceptible to human degradation, as well as making them susceptible to being caught as bycatch. All seahorse species have vital parental care, and many species studied to date have high site fidelity (Perante et al. 2002, Vincent et al., in review), highly structured social behaviour (Vincent and Sadler 1995), and relatively sparse distributions (Lourie et al. 1999). The importance of life history parameters in determining response to exploitation has been demonstrated for a number of species (Jennings et al. 1998).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Hippocampus ingens occurs at depths of 1–20 m (maximum 60 m) (J. Gomezjuardo in litt. in Lourie et al. 1999), and is often found among gorgonians or black coral (Humann 1993 in Lourie et al. 1999).

This species may be particularly susceptible to decline. The limited information on habitat suggests they inhabit shallow areas (Lourie et al. 1999) that are susceptible to human degradation, as well as making them susceptible to being caught as bycatch. All seahorse species have vital parental care, and many species studied to date have high site fidelity (Perante et al. 2002, Vincent et al., in review), highly structured social behaviour (Vincent and Sadler 1995), and relatively sparse distributions (Lourie et al. 1999). The importance of life history parameters in determining response to exploitation has been demonstrated for a number of species (Jennings et al. 1998).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Hippocampus ingens is traded dried as traditional medicine (TM), curios and live for aquariums (Vincent and Perry, in prep.). They are caught as bycatch by shrimp trawling operations along the Pacific coasts of Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama (J. Baum, unpublished data). In Ecuador seahorse population declines are attributed to indirect harvesting by the shrimp trawl fishery (J. Baum, unpublished data). Hippocampus ingens is also likely threatened by damage to its habitats. In Mexico this is the result of coastal development for tourism. In Panama, the Panama Canal has increased the freshwater output, thereby harming the reefs due to increased sedimentation and lowered salinity

Major Threat(s):

Hippocampus ingens is traded dried as traditional medicine (TM), curios and live for aquariums (Vincent and Perry, in prep.). They are caught as bycatch by shrimp trawling operations along the Pacific coasts of Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama (J. Baum, unpublished data). In Ecuador seahorse population declines are attributed to indirect harvesting by the shrimp trawl fishery (J. Baum, unpublished data).

Hippocampus ingens is also likely threatened by damage to its habitats. In Mexico this is the result of coastal development for tourism. In Panama, the Panama Canal has increased the freshwater output, thereby harming the reefs due to increased sedimentation and lowered salinity

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The entire genus Hippocampus was listed in Appendix II of CITES in November 2002. Implementation of this listing will begin May 2004. In Panama, H. ingens are included under the Ministry of Agriculture’s decree 19.450, which regulates the extraction of coral reef fishes

Conservation Actions:

The entire genus Hippocampus was listed in Appendix II of CITES in November 2002. Implementation of this listing will begin May 2004. In Panama, H. ingens are included under the Ministry of Agriculture’s decree 19.450, which regulates the extraction of coral reef fishes

Citation:	Project Seahorse 2003. Hippocampus ingens. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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