Short Snouted Seahorses Bred in Captivity

For the very first time the Short-snouted seahorse, Hippocampus hippocampus has been bred in captivity by the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth. More than 120 of these endangered seahorses have been born.
Two species of seahorse are found in the British Isles, the Short-snouted seahorse and the Long-snouted seahorse. Eggs are laid by the female in a pouch on the stomach of the male, who fertilises and then incubates the eggs. The Short-snouted seahorse is found among seaweed in shallow inshore water and in estuaries like the River Thames. Loss of habitat and pollution are threatening the survival of this species.

Robbie Robinson of the Blue Reef Aquarium is hopeful that many of the young seahorses will survive to maturity to increase substantially the number of this endangered species.

Short snouted seahorses have recently been found in the River Thames during a recent survey. They were found in brackish water as far upriver as London and have now been given protected status. The Thames River, declared biologically dead in the 1950’s, has been increasingly reviving due to the enthusiastic work of many groups to clean up the river. The cleaner water plus changes in climate causing an increase in plankton and warmer waters may be the reason for the seahorses presence in the river.

This intel first appeared on: http://getaquariums.com/2008/08/05/short-snouted-seahorses-bred-in-...