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SHORT-SNOUT SEAHORSE

Hippocampus breviceps, Peters 1870, Short-head Seahorse, Shorthead Seahorse, Short-snout Seahorse, Shortsnout Seahorse

These two Short-snouted Seahorses Hippocampus breviceps collected by Sir Joseph Verco in 1920 and

are in the collection of the South Australian Museum. Sir Joseph personally financed many marine

expeditions and greatly contributed to the knowledge of marine biodiversity in southern Australia.

 

Description: 10.0 cm (Project Seahorse 2005?), 7.0 cm (Waite 1933), length 7 cm  These specimens in the South Australian Museum collection were collected by Sir Joseph Verco in Spencers Gulf in 1906. (Waite and Hale 1908). 

RANGE: The Short-head Seahorse is found from the Bass straight region in south-eastern Australia west to Gulf St Vincent in South Australia (Kuiter 2000). Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania.  This little seahorse is not often seen in our waters (Scott et al 1980), "throughout southern Australia from Western Australia to New South Wales, also in Tasmania (Waite 1933), South and West Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania; Dredged from St Vincent Gulf by Sir Joseph Verco.  Examples also from Spencer Gulf (Waite and Hale 1908). 

Hippocampus breviceps photo taken by David Muirhead

DISTRIBUTION: Found at an average density of 0.21 m2. 30% turnover population turnover over five weeks. Movement restricted to core of site in mornings - site size 1 to 12 m2. Females had bigger sites than males. Two to five H. breviceps aggregated at a particular seaweed clump each morning (Moreau and Vincent 2004).

HABITAT:  Macro-algae along the margins of seagrass and in sponges in deeper water. Sub-tidal to 15 meters (Kuiter 2000). rocky reef-algal habitat (Moreau and Vincent 2004).

FEEDING: Feed over the substrate during the day on mysids (Kuiter 2002).

REPRODUCTION: Opposite sex pairs of H. breviceps engage in displays and interactions, although not every day, or with the same partner (Moreau and Vincent 2004). Reproduces during summer and broods from 50 to 100 eggs (Kuiter 2000). Has a 1:1 sex ratio (Moreau and Vincent 2004).

  

 

For the relationship of the Seahorse Species Profile to other southern Australasian seahorses see

Seahorse "Species Key" and "Meristics Table" for Southern Australasia

 

References:

Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and their Relatives. A Comprehensive Guide to Syngnathiformes. TMC Publishing Pp. 240.

Lourie, S.A., S.J. Foster, Cooper, E.W.T., A.C.J. Vincent. 2004. A guide to the identification of seahorses. Project Seahorse and TRAFFIC North America.  Washington D.C.  University of British Columbia and World Wildlife Fund.

Moreau M., Vincent, AC. 2004. Social structure and space use in a wild population of the Australian short-headed seahorse Hippocampus breviceps Peters 1896. Marine and freshwater Research, 2004, 55: 231 - 239.

Scott, T.D., C.J.M. Glover, R.V. Southcott. 1980. The Marine and Freshwater Fishes of South Australia.  Government Printer. South Australia.

Waite, E.R. 1923. The Fishes of South Australia. Government Printer. South Australia.

Waite, R.R., H.M. Hale. 1908. Review of the Lophobranchiate Fishes (Pipe-fishes and Sea-horses) of South Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 32:298-299.