Female lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) recognize their mates based on olfactory cues

Abstract

Recognition of mates from others is crucial for monogamous species to maintain their long-term pair bonds. The seahorse is widely recognized as a monogamous species, and its mate recognition cue is still not well understood. In the present study, we used the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) as an experimental animal and investigated the effect of blocking olfactory, visual or behavioral (i.e., greeting) cues on mate recognition. Our results show that as long as the female seahorse can smell her mate, she will remain faithful to her mate and persistently select her mate as her next mating partner, regardless of whether the visual and/or behavioral cues between her and her mate are blocked. This finding implies that olfaction is a critical cue for a female seahorse to recognize her mate.