Ecology Summary - Hippocampus abdominalis

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Main Ref.	Lourie, S.A., A.C.J. Vincent and H.J. Hall, 1999
Remarks	Found among algae, seagrasses and rocky reefs in shallow water; attached to sponges and colonial hydroids in deeper water; also around jetty piles and other man-made objects (Ref. 30915). No differences in diet between male and female seahorses; smaller seahorses consumed a greater amount of crustaceans than larger seahorses; amphipod consumption peaking in spring and summer, and decapod consumption lowest in autumn (Ref. 73407). Observed hunting among the algal blades for prey as well as the surrounding substratum while hitched to the macroalgae, e.g., hunting the epibenthic swarming mysid Tenagomysis similis over sand while attached to the macroalgae fringing sand (Ref. 73407). Dwells in coral reefs, loose rock/pebble/gravel and subtidal sandy substrates (Ref. 128812).

Main Ref.

Lourie, S.A., A.C.J. Vincent and H.J. Hall, 1999

Remarks

Found among algae, seagrasses and rocky reefs in shallow water; attached to sponges and colonial hydroids in deeper water; also around jetty piles and other man-made objects (Ref. 30915). No differences in diet between male and female seahorses; smaller seahorses consumed a greater amount of crustaceans than larger seahorses; amphipod consumption peaking in spring and summer, and decapod consumption lowest in autumn (Ref. 73407). Observed hunting among the algal blades for prey as well as the surrounding substratum while hitched to the macroalgae, e.g., hunting the epibenthic swarming mysid Tenagomysis similis over sand while attached to the macroalgae fringing sand (Ref. 73407). Dwells in coral reefs, loose rock/pebble/gravel and subtidal sandy substrates (Ref. 128812).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Hippocampus abdominalis may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic; Soft Bottom: sand; Hard Bottom: rocky; rubble;
Substrate Ref.	Camins, E., L.M. Stanton, M.J. Correia and A.C.J. Vincent, 2023
Special habitats	Beds: algae/seaweed; sea grass; Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Woods, C.M.C., 2002

Associations

Ref.
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Lourie, S.A., A.C.J. Vincent and H.J. Hall, 1999
Feeding habit	selective plankton feeding
Feeding habit Ref.

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	Original sample		Unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition	3.41				Troph of adults from 1 study.
From individual food items	3.35	0.50			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.	Woods, C.M.C., 2002

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