The Early Allometric Growth and Osteological Ontogeny of Pot-Bellied Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis, L. 1827) under Mass-Scale Captive Breeding Conditions in North China
Author:
Shi Xuehui12, Tang Xinyi34, Zhang Yichao23, Wang Wenqi2, Qin Siyong5, Liu Qinghua346ORCID, Mei Jie1
Affiliation:
1. College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China 2. School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China 3. CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266003, China 4. Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266005, China 5. Rizhao Duobao Aquaculture Co. Ltd., Rizhao 276800, China 6. Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
Abstract
Seahorses are valuable species for their use in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as for the aquarium trade as ornamentals and curiosities. To balance market demand and reduce pressure on wild populations, many countries have undertaken commercial seahorse cultivation. Skeletal development plays a crucial role in fish fry culture, affecting external morphology, feeding, and movement. This study investigated the ontogeny allometry, timing, and progression of skeletal development in H. abdominalis from DAB (day after birth) 1 to DAB 100 under mass-scale captive breeding conditions in north China. The results of this study revealed the growth rate was significantly increased between DAB 30 and DAB 54. Allometry analysis revealed that in the early stage, the head, trunk, and tail demonstrated almost isometric growth. However, in the later stage, the head and trunk exhibited negative isometric growth, whereas the tail displayed positive isometric growth. Skeletal staining results showed that newborn seahorses do not have ossified bones until DAB 11 (SL 28.14 ± 2.94 mm). Ossification was primarily observed in the jaw region and the tubular nasal structure of the cranium, which indicated the importance of the early development of feeding organs. The initial formation of ossified vertebral columns was observed at DAB 13 (SL 26.48 ± 0.63 mm), with the complete ossification of all vertebrae occurring by DAB 45 (SL 54.87 ± 4.70 mm). Furthermore, the cranium, rings, and plates were all fully ossified by DAB 30. Ossification of the fins began at DAB 23 (SL 31.27 ± 4.05 mm). However, neither of them were fully ossified by DAB 100. The pelvic fin and the complete structure of the caudal fin were not observed, possibly because of caudal fin ray structure degeneration within the pouch. In addition, no skeletal deformities were observed in all the tested samples. The results of this study provide valuable information on the developmental biology of H. abdominalis, enriching our understanding of their growth and offering insights for optimizing fish fry breeding technologies.
Funder
Research and Development Program of Shandong Province Shandong Province Natural Science Foundation China Agriculture Research System
Subject
Ecology,Aquatic Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
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