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Courtship Behaviour, Brood Characteristics and Embryo Development in Three Spotted Seahorse, Hippocampus trimaculatus (Leach, 1814)

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Marine Biotechnology Laboratory, Vizhinjam Research Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram- 695 521, Kerala, INDIA
  • 2 Centre for Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai- 608 502, Tamilnadu, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., Volume 3, Issue (1), Pages 6-10, January,10 (2014)

Abstract

The three spotted seahorse, Hippocampus trimaculatus is one of the important species being sold in Chinese market. In India, this species is mainly distributed along the south Indian coast, especially in the southeast and west coast. In southwest coast of India, this is the dominant species (79.68%) followed by H. kuda (9.89%), H. kelloggi (8.33%) and H. fuscus (2.08%). Hippocampus trimaculatus has very sharp hook-like cheek and eye spines; quite flat in appearance; narrow head; no nose spine. Colour pattern is golden orange, sandy coloured or totally black; may have large dark spots on the dorso-lateral surface of the first, fourth and seventh trunk ring and it can be easily distinguished from other seahorse species. During this study in captive condition the eggs of H. trimaculatus were ovoid in shape with one end slightly tapered, 2.12 ± 0.019 mm long, 1.97 ± 0.045 mm wide and 2.94 ± 0.3 mg in weight, with numerous bright orange/ red fat globules. The observed brood size was 389 ± 56.11. The newly expelled baby’s length was 7.00 ± 0.05 mm and weight was 0.97 ± 0.08 mg. Three distinct embryonic stages such as yolk sac larva, term embryo and youngone were observed during their development.

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