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Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852

Spotted seahorse
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Hippocampus kuda   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Hippocampus kuda (Spotted seahorse)
Hippocampus kuda
Picture by Greenfield, J.


Viet Nam country information

Common names: Cá Ngựa đen, Cá Ngựa lớn, Spotted seahorse
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Nguyen, H.P. and N.T. Nguyen, 1994
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: protected | Ref: Lourie, S.A., A.C.J. Vincent and H.J. Hall, 1999
Uses: no uses
Comments: Known from the Gulf of Tonkin, Central and Southern Vietnam (Ref. 9706), Khan-Hoa (Ref. 30915), Nha Trang (Ref. 58534), Hon Ong and Phu Quoc Island, on soft bottom areas with sand, silt and seagrass (Ref. 129070). Listed in the 1994 Vietnam Red Data Book (Ref. 30915). Museum: Nam Phan (Cochin China), region around Saigon and the Mekong delta, CAS 20399 (Ref. 5515). Also Ref. 115213. Status of threat: Vulnerable (Ref. 46452), Endangered (Ref. 129070).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Nguyen, H.P. and N.T. Nguyen, 1994
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathinae
Etymology: Hippocampus: Greek, ippos = horse + Greek,kampe = curvature (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Bleeker.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 68 m (Ref. 37816), usually 0 - 8 m (Ref. 90102).   Tropical; 39°N - 28°S, 32°E - 154°W (Ref. 57009)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: southern Africa, the Red Sea to Hawaii and French Polynesia; north to Japan, south to Australia.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 14.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1602)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-18; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 4.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit seagrass and marine algae areas of estuaries and seaward reefs; also on steep mud slopes. Found in open water and attached to drifting Sargassum up to 20 km from shore. Adults in pairs (Ref. 48635). Benthic to pelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on zooplankton (Ref. 85309). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). The males carry the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205). Not shown to be monogamous in the laboratory (Ref. 30915). Very popular aquarium fish. Highly valued species in traditional Chinese medicine (Ref. 30915). Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35416).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

There are 20 - 1000 larvae in incubating sacks; time of development is 20-28 days. The males carry the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Lourie, S.A., R.A. Pollom and S.J. Foster, 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. (Ref. 115213)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Vulnerable (VU) (A2cd+3cd+4cd); Date assessed: 16 August 2012

CITES (Ref. 128078)


Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 21.3 - 29, mean 27.8 (based on 1008 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00447 (0.00177 - 0.01127), b=3.00 (2.78 - 3.22), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.6   ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=0.6; Fec=20-1000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (15 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.