Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

CAAB: 37282117

Species Hippocampus tristis Castelnau, 1872

Sad Seahorse, Dull Seahorse

 

Introduction

Lourie et al. (2016) treated the species as a junior synonym of H. kuda. They noted that the species was described from one specimen, but now two are labelled types, apparently from the Swan River, rather than the Melbourne Fish Market. Kuiter (2001) suggested they may have come from northern NSW. It is unlikely that fishes from the Melbourne Fish Market would have come from localities far from Melbourne. Whether the original specimen actually came from another locality is unknown. Consequently, there is some uncertainty about whether the specimens currently labelled types are actually the types. Kuiter (2001) suggested that the species was found in subtropical or temperate waters of NSW. Lourie et al (2016). suggested that H. kuda might be a clade of several forms. They suggested that several of the specimens identified by Kuiter (2001) as H. tristis belonged to H. kelloggi, but the distribution map for that species and the map for H. kuda do not show specimens records from NSW, but does include a specimen from South Australia, identified by Kuiter as H. tristis. Until further studies are carried out, we retain the name here for this apparently isolated population. No genetic work has been published relating to this species.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia


Extra Distribution Information

ENE of Pt Cartwright, QLD (26°40'S) to off Sandon Bluff, NSW (29°38'S) and off Adelaide, SA, also Lord Howe Island, records from farther north are probable misidentifications of other species; Subtropical, south-west Pacific.

Australian Endemic.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IMCRA

Lord Howe Province (14), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39)

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, continental shelf.

Extra Ecological Information

Normally trawled in 18-53 m

 

General References

Dawson, C.E. 1994. Family Syngnathidae. pp. 440-475 figs 391-426 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. (as H. whitei in part)

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3) [312]

Kuiter, R.H. 2001. Revision of the Australian Seahorses of the genus Hippocampus (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) with descriptions of nine new species. Records of the Australian Museum 53: 293-340 [316]

Kuiter, R.H. 2009. Seahorses and their relatives. Seaford, Australia : Aquatic Photographics pp. 331. [107]

Lourie, S.A., Vincent, A.C.J. & Hall, H.J. 1999. Seahorses. An identification guide to the world's species and their conservation. Project Seahorse. x 214 pp. [109] (as H. kuda)

McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part I. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 1–144 [96] (as Hippocampus tristis)

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [92]

Paxton, J.R., Gates, J.E., Hoese, D.F. & Bray, D.J. 2006. Syngnathidae. pp. 810-846 in Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [829]

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. [422] (as H. whitei, in part)

Pognoski, J.J., Pollard, D.A. & Paxton, J.R. 2002. Conservation Overview and Action Plan for Australian Threatened and Potentially Threatened Marine and Estuarine Fishes. Canberra : Environment Australia 375 pp.

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [38] (542, as Hippocampus tristis)

 

Common Name References

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [92] (Dull Seahorse)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and Their Relatives. Chorleywood, UK : TMC Publishing pp. 240. [43]) (Sad Seahorse)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
27-Jul-2017 SYNGNATHIFORMES 05-May-2017 MODIFIED Dr Doug Hoese Dr Matthew Lockett
25-Jun-2015 SYNGNATHIFORMES 20-Jun-2014 MODIFIED Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
27-Jul-2010 MODIFIED