Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales (IPATEC), Universidad Nacional del Comahue (UNCo) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R8400, Bariloche, Argentina.
Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196, Gland, Switzerland.
Sci Rep. 2023 Oct 21;13(1):18017. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-45420-9.
This study aimed to develop a non-invasive and efficient method for measuring and identifying individual seahorses (Hippocampus patagonicus) in their natural habitat. A total of 976 seahorses were captured and photographed on a measuring board to obtain standard length (L) measurements. Head photographs were also taken for individual recognition, and a set of 100 seahorses were tagged with visible implant elastomers (VIE) to verify the correspondence between photograph recognition and the applied tags. The analysis showed no significant difference between left and right L measurements. The unique pattern of white dots on the heads served as individual fingerprints, consistent with VIE tagging. The recapture rate was 12%, with 89 individuals observed multiple times. Two distinct growth patterns were identified: males exhibited higher growth rates and a negative correlation with L compared to females. Released seahorses exhibited significantly different behaviors that were related to their sizes (L). Smaller seahorses tended to swim slowly towards nearby holdfasts, while larger seahorses escaped further or remained rigid before grasping a holdfast. The proposed methodology allowed for estimating individual seahorse growth rates, and the measurements were objective and precise. The results were obtained through quick and minimally invasive manipulation of the observed individuals.
本研究旨在开发一种非侵入性且高效的方法，用于在自然栖息地中测量和识别个体海马（Hippocampus patagonicus）。共捕获了 976 匹海马，并在测量板上对其进行拍照以获取标准体长（L）测量值。还对头部照片进行了拍摄，以便进行个体识别，并对 100 匹海马进行了可见植入弹性体（VIE）标记，以验证照片识别与应用标记之间的对应关系。分析显示左右 L 测量值之间没有显著差异。头部上独特的白点图案作为个体指纹，与 VIE 标记一致。再捕获率为 12%，有 89 个个体被多次观察到。确定了两种不同的生长模式：雄性的生长速度高于雌性，且与 L 呈负相关。释放的海马表现出明显不同的行为，这些行为与它们的体型（L）有关。较小的海马往往会缓慢地向附近的固着器游动，而较大的海马则会更远地逃脱或在抓住固着器之前保持僵硬。所提出的方法允许估计个体海马的生长率，并且测量值是客观和精确的。这些结果是通过对观察到的个体进行快速和微创操作获得的。
