Abstract
The feeding and spawning grounds for seahorses have been lost due to nationwide coastal developments in South Korea. However, little information on the feeding ecology of the Korean seahorse (Hippocampus haema) is currently available. The main objective in this study was to understand the feeding strategy of H. haema on the basis of DNA analysis of the contents of the guts. This is the first study on the feeding ecology of H. haema. Crustaceans were found to be major prey for H. haema in this study. Among the 12 identified species, arthropods were predominantly observed as potential prey of H. haema in this study. The Caprella sp. Was detected in all summer specimens followed by the Ianiropsis sp., whereas isopods were dominant, and amphipods accounted for a small proportion in winter specimens. According to the results in this study, there appears to be a seasonal shift in the major prey of H. haema. Moreover, a potential change in the habitats for adults was further discussed. Since this is a pilot study, further studies should be conducted for a better understanding of the feeding ecology of H. haema.
Highlights
The breeding season of seahorse is from late spring to autumn in Korea [8,9], and there is a positive correlation between the growth of the genus Hippocampus (H. whitei, H. guttulatus, and H. zosterae) and water temperature within a certain range [13,52,53]
The coincidence between the gut contents of H. haema and the seasonally thriving zooplankton in our study indicates that the main diet of H. haema can be modified according to the availability of prey
Specimens were collected once each in summer and winter, differences in feeding habits of H. haema could be clearly distinguished using DNA tools
Summary
There is no record of seahorse overfishing along the Republic of Korea coastal area; the Korean coastal ecosystem, due to ongoing nationwide coastal development, has been losing its natural shelter abilities as a safe habitat and spawning ground for various fishes, including seahorses [2,7]. Despite these crises, very little ecological information on seahorses is currently available in the Republic of Korea [8,9]; we do not know what ecological roles they play in coastal ecosystems
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