Seahorse Aquaculture

Seahorse Aquaculture Marie Barton University of Alabama 2013 DISL

Taxonomy • • • • • • • • •

Family: Syngnathidae Hippocampus kuda H. reidi H. erectus H. barbouri H. abdominalis H. breviceps H. comes H. ingens

• Captive-bred seahorses first recorded in 2002 • In past decade, risen from 1% of total seahorse trade to 99% today

Economic importance, market price, locations, country • Conservation ▫ H. capensis in Hawaii ▫ Mote marine lab

• Dried seahorses- traditional medicine ▫ $100-300/kg

• Live- ornamental fish ▫ $100-900/animal

• Australia, NZ, MX, China, Ireland and UK, India, Indonesia, USA, S. Africa, Thailand, Vietnam ▫ Developed and developing countries

Life cycle & larval stages

Reproduction in Captivity • Complex mating process ▫ Male courts female with dancing, color change, clicking sounds

• Male carries fertilized eggs for 20-30 days • Up to 10 broods/yr • 200-1000 animals/brood • Monogamous

Production Methods • Hatchery: Broodstock are kept in cages in calm bay or indoor tanks • Nursery: 1 day after spawning, fry transferred to tank with biofilter, UV sterilization and ozone ▫ Stocked 1-2/L

• Growout: 40 days later, transferred to cages or indoor tanks ▫ Initial density 500/m³, after growth 200/m³

Production methods

• Large-scale production in Vietnam Hippocampus comes Fry production tank Adult tank

Feeds and feeding • Larvae eat plankton, juveniles and adults eat small crustaceans, full grown adults need some small fish too • All prefer live food ▫ Expensive ▫ Conservation growers commonly grow plankton for larvae on site

• Most commercial aquaculture uses frozen food ▫ Harder to train/wean but if successful, will be hardier ▫ Artemia

• Varied diet important to health

▫ Supplements, alternate live and dead/frozen food

Water chemistry and environmental requirements • Pristine water ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫

Salinity: 15-35 ppt Ammonia and nitrite: 0 ppm Nitrate: