Hippocampus bargibanti Whitley, 1970

Pygmy seahorse

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Syngnathiformes \| Syngnathidae \| Hippocampinae
Synonyms	... more
Common names	Bargibant’s seahorse, Bargibant's seahorse, Pygmæsøhest, ... more

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Main reference

Lourie, S.A., A.C.J. Vincent and H.J. Hall. 1999. (Ref. 30915)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 2.4 cm OT male/unsexed; (Ref. 31803)

Environment

Reef-associated; non-migratory; marine; depth range 16 - 40 m (Ref. 30915)

Climate / Range

Tropical; 3°N - 23°S

Western Central Atlantic: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Queensland, and New Caledonia. Conservation status: data deficient (Ref. 30915). International trade is monitored through a licensing system (CITES II, since 5.15.04).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 1315. Description based on 4 specimens: Adult height, less than 2.0 cm. Rings, 11-12 + 31-34. Snout length is greater than 4.0 in head length. Dorsal fin rays, 13-15 covering 1+1 rings. Pectoral fin rays, 10. Coronet, a rounded knob. Spine, as irregular bulbous tubercles scattered over body and tail; a single prominent rounded eye spine; a single low rounded cheek spine. Other distinctive characters: head and body very fleshy, mostly without recognizable body rings; ventral portion of trunk segments incomplete; snout extremely short. Color pattern: two color morphs are known: (a) pale grey or purple with pink or red tubercles (found on gorgonian coral Muricella plectana) and (b) yellow with orange tubercles (found on gorgonian coral Muricella paraplectana).

Only known to occur on gorgonian corals of the genus Muricella, with up to 28 pairs on a single gorgonian. The tubercles and truncated snout of this species match the color and shape of the polyps of the host gorgonian, while its body matches the gorgonian stem. So extreme is this camouflage that the original specimens were only noticed after their host gorgonian had been collected and observed in an aquarium. Post-pelagic young settle on various hosts, but to breed, they appear to prefer the red polyp Muricella spp. That usually grow in depths over 20 m (Ref. 48635). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The male carries the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Data deficient (DD)	Harmless

Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

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Summary page \| Point data \| Common names \| Photos

Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec=34)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low vulnerability (12 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Froese, Rainer

Modified by Luna, Susan M.

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Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

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