Great seahorses
Why in news:
- Extensive fishing off the Coromandel coast could be forcing the great seahorse to migrate laboriously toward Odisha.
- Fishing is less intense in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coastline.
- However, the shallow coastal ecosystem of the eastern Indian State may not be the new comfort zone for the fish with a horselike head, a study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa said.
About Great Seahorses:
- The great sea horse also known as Kellogg’s seahorse is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae.
- It is one of the largest of the 54 species of seahorse.
- It is found in the Indo-pacific region, specifically documented from the coast of East Africato Japan.
- It was also recently identified around both northern and southern Australia.
- They frequent areas with an abundance of coral so they can latch on to something.
- Though often found in shallow waters, they have been recorded in depths of over 100 meters, with the deepest recorded seahorse at 152 meters below the surface.
- The head of the seahorse resembles a crown.
- Its spine is very prevalent, but has a rounded shape, especially above its eye.
- Males breed the eggs in sacks. Gestation lasts a few weeks, then males will release the eggs without caring for them.
- Generally, males are ready to breed again almost immediately after giving birth.
- There was a 50-60% decline in population size around Asia.
- It is generally found alone or in very sparse groups. It is considered vulnerable in the IUCN red list.
Syllabus: Prelims; Environment
