Species Hippocampus spinosissimus Weber, 1913
Half-spined Seahorse, Halfspine Seahorse, Hedgehog Seahorse, Queensland Seahorse, White-spined Seahorse, Winged Seahorse
- Hippocampus spinosissimus Weber, M. 1913. Die Fische der Siboga-Expedition. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 57: 1-710 123 figs 12 pls [120, Fig. 44].
Type data:
Syntype(s) ZMA 114.473, Thursday Island, Queensland; ZMA 104.665, Sapeh Strait, Indonesia. - Hippocampus queenslandicus Horne, M.L. 2001. A new seahorse species (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus) from the Great Barrier Reef. Records of the Australian Museum 53(2): 243-246 [244, fig. 1].
Type data:
Holotype QM I.24445, off John Brewer Reef, QLD [18°37´S, 147°03´E].
Paratype(s) QM I.24446; AM I.40832-001 male; AM I.40833-001; NMV A.21578; NMV A.21579. - Hippocampus alatus 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 [317, fig. 25].
Type data:
Holotype AM I.20771-102 (female), east coast of Cape York, QLD, 16-18m [11°37´S, 142°56´E].
Paratype(s) AM I.15557-077 (male), Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD, 10m [17°25'S 140°10'E]; QM I.30556 (juvenile), Gulf of Carpentaria, NT, 42m [10°03.2'S 137°11.2'E]; QM I.27965 (juvenile), Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD, 25m [15°57.6'S 138°41.8'E]; NTM S.13267-004 (female), Gulf of Carpentaria, QLD, 17m [11°18'S 141°38'E]; NTM S.11580-003 (juvenile), off Dampier Archipelago, WA, 50-53m [20°03'S 115°48'E]; NTM S.10959-001 (female), off Port Hedland, WA, 80m [18°55'S 119°37'E]; WAM P.28003-001 (female), off Monte Bello Island, WA, 55-64m [20°17'S, 116°01'E]. - Hippocampus semispinosus 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 [320, fig. 29].
Type data:
Holotype NTM S10749-006 (female), east Alas Strait, Indonesia, 40-60m [08°20´S, 116°50´E].
Paratype(s) NTM S.11920-002 (male), Timor Sea, southern Indonesia or northern Australia
Comment: From Kuiter 2001: "A discrepancy exists between data presented in Gloerfelt-Tarp & Kailola (1984), their station TGT 1813 and that accompanying the holotype, NTM S10749-006, although longitudes and latitudes are close, Gloerfelt-Tarp & Kailola (1984) state that this species occurs in Areas B, C, where C is off northwestern Australia. The registration information for NTM S10749-006 is considered here as the correct type locality description. It is possible that the locality provided by Gloerfelt-Tarp & Kailola (1984) may be that of the paratype. Still, a description of this species is presented here as there is a chance that the paratype was collected on the northwest shelf of Australia.".
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Lourie, S.A., Pollom, R.A. & Foster, S.J. 2016. A global revision of the Seahorses Hippocampus Rafinesque 1810 (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes): Taxonomy and biogeography with recommendations for further research. Zootaxa 4146(1): 1–66 [40]
Introduction
The IUCN Red List Status is listed as Vulnerable.
Tentatively we follow the synonymy Lourie et al. (2016), although they did not present a detailed analysis supporting their full synonymy. They treated several species recognised by Kuiter (2001) as junior synonyms (H. alatus, H. queenslandicus and H. semispinosus). Teske et al. (2007) presented genetic evidence that material from Queensland was not separable from material from Asia. However, they did not treat material of H. alatus or H. semispinosus. Lourie et al. (2016) indicated that they tentatively regarded H. alatus as a junior synonym of H. spinosissimus, and indicated that H. semispinosus was not separable based on genetic evidence and morphology. They indicated that the synonymy was based on their concept of the species. Kuiter (2001, 2009) regarded H. spinosissimus as a rare deep water species, known from 50-70 m. Hippocampus alatus has been reported from 12-30 m (Allen & Erdmann 2012). Kuiter (2001) suggested that the syntype from Thursday Island was probably based on H. grandiceps, which would suggest the type series might contain two species. Lourie et al (2016) noted some discrepancies between the two Indonesian syntypes and their concept of the species H. spinosissimus. Weber (1913) figured syntypes from Indonesia and Thursday Island. If Kuiter (2001) was correct, then this species ultimately will undergo a name change. We retain it here in the interests of stability.
Distribution
States
Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
ENE of Montebello Islands, WA (20°17'E) to E of North Stradbroke Is. (27°37'S), QLD; tropical, east-Indo-west-Pacific
IMCRA
Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)
Distribution References
- Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. & Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie) Neue Serie 4: 341-463 [376] (as Hippocampus semispinosus)
- Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293 [77] (Hippocampus alatus and H. semispinosus)
Ecological Descriptors
Continental shelf, rubble bottom, seagrass.
Extra Ecological Information
12-70 m
General References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp. [205] (and as H. semispinosus and p. 199 as H. alatus)
Czembor, C.A. 2012. Hippocampus alatus. In: IUCN 2014. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1.. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/199858/0
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] (as H. queenslandicus)
Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefishes and Their Relatives. Chorleywood, UK : TMC Publishing 240 pp. (as Hippocampus sp 4)
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 [319] (as H. queenslandicus, H. spinosissimus, H. alatus and H. semispinosus)
Kuiter, R.H. 2009. Seahorses and their relatives. Seaford, Australia : Aquatic Photographics pp. 331. [100, 104, 105] (as H. queenslandicus, H. spinosissimus, H. alatus and H. semispinosus)
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. [828] (as H. queenslandicus and H. semispinosus, p. 825 as H. alatus and)
Pogonoski, 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. 355 pp. (as Hippocampus alatus and H. semispinosus)
Teske, P.R., Lourie, S.A., Matthee, C.A. & Green, D. 2007. Hippocampus queenslandicus Horne, 2001 — a new seahorse species or yet another synonym? Australian Journal of Zoology 55: 139-145 [139]
Wiswedel, S. 2012. Hippocampus spinosissimus. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2.. www.iucnredlist.org
Common Name References
Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp. (for H. alatus) (Hedgehog Seahorse, White-spined Seahorse)
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 [319] (as Hippocampus queenslandicus) (Half-spined Seahorse, Queensland Seahorse, Winged Seahorse)
Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (for H. alatus) (Halfspine Seahorse, Queensland Seahorse, Winged Seahorse)
Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Standard names of Australian fishes. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper 9: 1-64 [33] (for H. queenslandicus) (Halfspine Seahorse, Queensland Seahorse, Winged Seahorse)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27-Jul-2017 | SYNGNATHIFORMES | 31-May-2017 | MODIFIED | Dr Doug Hoese Dr Matthew Lockett |
| SYNGNATHIFORMES | 05-Jun-2014 | ADDED | Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM) |