Hippocampus spinosissimus
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
ACTINOPTERYGII |
SYNGNATHIFORMES |
SYNGNATHIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Hippocampus spinosissimus |
| Species Authority: |
Weber, 1913 |
Common Name/s:
| English |
– |
Hedgehog Seahorse |
|
| Synonym/s: |
Hippocampus aimei Roule, 1916
|
| Taxonomic Notes: |
The 1996 and 2000 IUCN Red Lists included H. aimei, this is now considered a synonym of H. barbouri and H. spinosissimus. |
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Vulnerable
A4cd
ver 3.1
|
| Year Assessed: |
2003 |
| Assessor/s: |
Project Seahorse |
| Reviewer/s: |
Marsden, A.D., Foster, S.J. & Vincent, A.C.J. (Syngnathid Red List Authority) |
Justification:
H. spinosissimus 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.
This species is caught in the Philippines by fishers who swim through the fishes’ habitats and collect them by hand. The seahorses are then sold into the aquarium, curiosity and traditional medicine trades. Hippocampus spinosissimus are also quite commonly found in trawls in Thailand (A. Perry, unpublished data). Fishers in the Philippines (M. Pajaro, unpublished data) and Indonesia, and seahorse buyers in Indonesia have all reported declines in the abundance of seahorse (A. Perry, unpublished data), although the portion of this decline accounted for by H. spinosissimus is unknown.
Hippocampus spinosissimus is also threatened by damage to its habitats. Land-based activities such as forestry often lead to increased siltation in surrounding marine waters, thereby smothering corals. Some fishing gears used by subsistence fishers on coral reefs result in substantial damage to the corals (M. Pajaro, pers. comm.). The decline in and fragmentation of the species’ habitats throughout its range raise the possibility of declines in populations in addition to those caused by fisheries.
|
| History: |
| 1996 |
– |
Vulnerable
|
| 1996 |
– |
Vulnerable
|
|
Geographic Range
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| Countries: |
Native:
Australia (Queensland); Indonesia; Malaysia; Philippines; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam
|
| FAO Marine Fishing Areas: |
Native:
Indian Ocean – western; Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – northwest; Pacific – western central
|
Population
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| Population: |
Fishers in the central Philippines report declines in the abundance of seahorses (Vincent 1996), but H. spinosissimus is a relatively small portion of the total seahorse catch in this area (pers. obs.). In the early and mid-1990s, fishers and buyers in Indonesia also reported declines in seahorse abundance (Vincent 1996), but the portion of this decline that can be attributed to H. spinosissimus is unknown.
|
| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
|
Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
Hippocampus spinosissimus are found in areas with muddy or sandy bottoms and on coral reefs (Lourie et al. 1999).
This species may be particularly susceptible to decline. 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 |
| Major Threat(s): |
Hippocampus spinosissimus is traded for traditional medicines, curiosities, and aquaria (Vincent and Perry, in prep.). Spiny seahorses such as H. spinosissimus are generally less desirable for traditional Chinese medicine, but their use is increasing with the rise in patent medicine use (Vincent 1996). The volume of this trade is unknown, but without appropriate management the trade might pose a threat to the species. Hippocampus spinosissimus is also caught quite commonly as bycatch by trawlers in Thailand (S. Lourie in litt.).
This species is also threatened by damage to its habitats. Damage to coral reef ecosystems by dynamite and cyanide fishing have been well documented, particularly in the Philippines. Land-based activities such as forestry often lead to increased siltation in surrounding marine waters, thereby smothering corals. The decline in and fragmentation of this species’ habitats throughout its range raise the possibility of declines in populations in addition to those caused by the fisheries and trade.
|
Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
The entire genus Hippocampus was listed in Appendix II of CITES in November 2002. Implementation of this listing will begin May 2004. The Australian populations of this species were moved under the Australian Wildlife Protection Act in 1998, so export permits are now required. The permits are only granted for approved management plans or captive bred animals. Such management was transferred under the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2001. Many states also place their own controls on the capture and/or trade of syngnathid fishes.
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