Hippocampus bargibanti

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	SYNGNATHIFORMES	SYNGNATHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Hippocampus bargibanti

Species Authority:

(Whitley, 1970)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Bargibant's Seahorse, Pygmy Seahorse

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Data Deficient ver 3.1

Year Published:

2003

Assessor/s:

Project Seahorse

Reviewer/s:

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

Contributor/s:

Justification:
There are no published data about population trends or total numbers of mature animals for this species. There is very little available information about its extent of occurrence or its area of occupancy. There have been no quantitative analyses examining the probability of extinction of this species. As a result, we have insufficient data to properly assess the species against any of the IUCN criteria, and propose a listing of data deficient (DD).

History:

1996	–	Data Deficient (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1996	–	Data Deficient

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Australia (Queensland); Indonesia; New Caledonia; Papua New Guinea; Philippines
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – western central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Unknown

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Very little is known about the ecology of this species. It is one of the smallest seahorse species, measuring less than 2 cm in height (Lourie et al. 1999). It has a specific habitat, being found only on gorgonian corals Muricella plectana (Gomon 1997, Tackett and Tackett 1997, Whitley 1970) at depths ranging from 16–40 m (Tackett and Tackett 1997). Hippocampus bargibanti appears to form pairs and may be monogamous (Tackett and Tackett 1997).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Very little is known about the ecology of this species. It is one of the smallest seahorse species, measuring less than 2 cm in height (Lourie et al. 1999). It has a specific habitat, being found only on gorgonian corals Muricella plectana (Gomon 1997, Tackett and Tackett 1997, Whitley 1970) at depths ranging from 16–40 m (Tackett and Tackett 1997). Hippocampus bargibanti appears to form pairs and may be monogamous (Tackett and Tackett 1997).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Major threats to the species are currently unknown, however, their attractive colouration makes it possible they could be collected for the aquaria trade.

Major Threat(s):

Major threats to the species are currently unknown, however, their attractive colouration makes it possible they could be collected for the aquaria trade.

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. Environment Australia lists the conservation status of H. bargibanti as Data Deficient (Pogonoski et al. 2002). 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. Very few data are available for this species. Further research on this species biology, ecology, habitat, abundance and distribution is needed.

Conservation Actions:

The entire genus Hippocampus was listed in Appendix II of CITES in November 2002. Implementation of this listing will begin May 2004. Environment Australia lists the conservation status of H. bargibanti as Data Deficient (Pogonoski et al. 2002). 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. Very few data are available for this species. Further research on this species biology, ecology, habitat, abundance and distribution is needed.

Bibliography [top]

	Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (eds). 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Gomon, M.F. 1997. A remarkable new pygmy seahorse (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus) from South-Eastern Australia, with a description of H. bargibanti Whitley from New Caledonia. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 56(1): 245–253. Hilton-Taylor, C. 2000. 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003. Lourie, S.A., Vincent, A.C.J. and Hall, H.J. 1999. Seahorses: an identification guide to the world's species and their conservation. Project Seahorse, London, U.K. Pogonoski, J.J., Pollard, D.A. and Paxton, J.R. 2002. Conservation overview and action plan for Australian threatened and potentially threatened marine and estuarine fishes. Environment Australia, Canberra, Australia. Tackett, D. and Tackett, L. 1997. Pygmy seahorse. Asian Diver October/November 1997: 61-63. Whitley, G.P. 1970. In: Abstract of proceedings. Ordinary general meeting. 26th November, 1969. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 94 (3): p. 292-295.

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (eds). 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Gomon, M.F. 1997. A remarkable new pygmy seahorse (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus) from South-Eastern Australia, with a description of H. bargibanti Whitley from New Caledonia. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 56(1): 245–253.

Hilton-Taylor, C. 2000. 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003.

Lourie, S.A., Vincent, A.C.J. and Hall, H.J. 1999. Seahorses: an identification guide to the world's species and their conservation. Project Seahorse, London, U.K.

Pogonoski, J.J., Pollard, D.A. and Paxton, J.R. 2002. Conservation overview and action plan for Australian threatened and potentially threatened marine and estuarine fishes. Environment Australia, Canberra, Australia.

Tackett, D. and Tackett, L. 1997. Pygmy seahorse. Asian Diver October/November 1997: 61-63.

Whitley, G.P. 1970. In: Abstract of proceedings. Ordinary general meeting. 26th November, 1969. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 94 (3): p. 292-295.

Citation:	Project Seahorse 2003. Hippocampus bargibanti. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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