Can you generalize the behavior of a species?

[inazuma]

Allowing for individual personalities, which I understand to be highly variable, do different hippocampus species have different general behavior traits?

Examples:

- Is species 'A' generally more active, while species 'B' is generally more sedentary?

- Does species 'D' generally spend more time in open water, while species 'C' generally doesn't venture into open water?

What if...

- species 'A' = H. Erectus

- species 'B' = H. Reidi

- species 'C' = H. Barbouri

- species 'D' = H. Comes

I have Googled this forward and backward, going to many sites. I've looked at Project Seahorse, Fishbase, Blackwell-Synergy, and many others... looking for a comparison of the species behavior. As you may have gathered, I haven't been very successful!

One last thing... For the sake of (relative) simplicity, I'd like to limit the scope of this discussion to commercialy available species.

 

[ann83]

try checking seahorse.org for behavior trends. Personally, what I have noticed is that some people will believe a certain species is more reclusive, while others believe that same species is pretty active. I think it has a lot more to do with the environment provided, flow patterns, lighting, etc.

 

[philter4]

The simple answer is yes. The problem is many closely related sp share behavioral traits as well as physical, and the closer the habitat and feeding habits the more likely they are to behave the same. That being said, most seahorses are about the same in aquariums. If you want variaty in your aquarium try pipefish, they have very different habits and so are much more varied with sp that are swimmers like the banded and blue stripes and others that are tied to the substrate like dragonfaced pipes.

My experience with seahorses is limited to the species locally, the lined, H. erectus, and the longsnout, H. reidi. Both of these act the same in fish tanks, but in the wild are found in very different habitats. The erectus is almost always found in the floating sargassum rafts that wash in shore, and the reidi are in the grass flats of the intercoastal. Now these are only the ones I come into contact with, so I'm sure others find them in different areas, but for me this means the erectus is free swimming, and the reidi is tied to the bottom in the grass. Once I put them into aquarium though, they both become anchored to the plant life that I used, being macro algae and calcerous algae like halameda and pencillus.

 

[inazuma]

From what I have read, those that studied H. Erectus were very surprised at how many different biotopes the species was observed in. There was one person in particular who wrote in length about how H. Erectus was "in places that it shouldn't be."

There were two videos I watched on YouTube with unidentified species swiming in open water, no holdfasts, no cover, just swimming. I found the behavior rather odd, and was wondering if there was a species known to do this. Other videos were showing seahorses swiming from hitch to hitch over rather large distances, far greater than I thought was possible.

You mentioned that you had kept both H. Reidi and H. Erectus, did you observe any difference in behavior between the two? Was the only observation that, behavior is entirely up to the individual and independent of its species?

 

[Luis A M]

It is somehow a subjective appreciation but reidi doesn´t impress like a sedentary species to me

 

[inazuma]

In thinking about it, I (probably wrongly) thought of dogs. A dog's personality is highly individual, but the dog's breed plays a major role in predisposing said dog to the gereral temperment of his breed.

For example - Jack Russell Teriers are bundles of energy, never ceasing energy. Yes, there are exeptions, but in general they are VERY active dogs.

Bulldogs are STUBBORN, there are exeptions, but in general they are a very headstrong breed.

I guess I'm asking if you can "stereotype" hippocampus species.

 

[inazuma]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12748929#post12748929 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
It is somehow a subjective appreciation but reidi doesn´t impress like a sedentary species to me

I'm afraid I don't understand....

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12749268#post12749268 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by inazuma
I'm afraid I don't understand....

Pardon my English...
I mean reidi is not a sluggish,quiet species IMO.That they like to move around.

 

[ReidiLoverLinds]

There is a difference between the males and females also. Males seem to stick to a home area and the females will explore all over the tank. My horses are reidi.

 

[inazuma]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12755805#post12755805 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReidiLoverLinds
There is a difference between the males and females also. Males seem to stick to a home area and the females will explore all over the tank. My horses are reidi.

Hmmm... interesting. Has anyone else observed this?

If true, I'm trying to think of a reason why. Could it be because the males carry the young, and sticking closer to a hitch provides more protection for the fry (and the father)?

 

[Chibils]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12756738#post12756738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by inazuma
Hmmm... interesting. Has anyone else observed this?

If true, I'm trying to think of a reason why. Could it be because the males carry the young, and sticking closer to a hitch provides more protection for the fry (and the father)?

I had the same instinct, though I've never kept 'horses.

 

[ann83]

Could be. Could also just be that they are not as agile moving around with those big ol' bellies in the way.

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12756738#post12756738 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by inazuma
Hmmm... interesting. Has anyone else observed this?

If true, I'm trying to think of a reason why. Could it be because the males carry the young, and sticking closer to a hitch provides more protection for the fry (and the father)?

Now that you mention,yes,males tend to be more reclusive,especially when brooding.

 

[inazuma]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12765000#post12765000 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Luis A M
Now that you mention,yes,males tend to be more reclusive,especially when brooding.

Do you think this generalization could be applied to males of any other seahorse species?

 

[TamiW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12770129#post12770129 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by inazuma
Do you think this generalization could be applied to males of any other seahorse species?

I'm pretty sure this behavior has been observed in the wild with H. whitei, and maybe H. capensis (not sure if my memory is faulty on the later though). Dr. Amanda Vincent has done some studies on this. You might want to look up research papers by her and Project Seahorse for more info.

 

[inazuma]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12771027#post12771027 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FishGrrl
I'm pretty sure this behavior has been observed in the wild with H. whitei, and maybe H. capensis (not sure if my memory is faulty on the later though). Dr. Amanda Vincent has done some studies on this. You might want to look up research papers by her and Project Seahorse for more info.

Thank you... in all my seaching I didn't come across those articles, what a wealth of information. Again, thank you.