Is there genetic variation in seahorses?
Conclusions. This study demonstrates the genetic variation and population expansion for two seahorses, H. mohnikei and H. trimaculatus, which are small feeble swimming fish and confidently influenced by their species-specific ecological requirements and life-history traits.
How many genes does a seahorse have?
We predicted 23,458 genes in the genome of H. comes based on homology and by mapping the RNA-seq data of H. comes and a closely related species, the lined seahorse, Hippocampus erectus, to the genome assembly (see Methods and Supplementary Information).
What did the seahorse evolve from?
Much of our detective work on seahorse evolution comes from studying living pipehorses and pipefishes, with which seahorses share a common ancestor.
Can you eat seahorse?
You can eat them, but most Americans don’t, probably because they’re considered some of the friendliest fish in the sea, even if this reputation isn’t always true. These little creatures offer no real nutritional value and are basically eaten just for the prestige of saying you’ve eaten seahorse.
What are seahorses related to?
A seahorse is a type of fish closely related to pipefishes and belonging to the scientific family Syngnathidae. Roughly 35 species of seahorse occur worldwide. The seahorse’s scientific genus name, Hippocampus, is Greek for “bent horse.”
How intelligent are seahorses?
They have good eyesight and can see you coming clear across the room. Hippocampus is one fish that can become a true pet, and I’m convinced this is because they are more intelligent than most fishes. Seahorses are real personality fish and many of them actually enjoy being handled.
Do seahorses bite humans?
Even though some species have some of the world’s most toxic venoms, they are not aggressive and rarely present a threat to humans or cause human injuries or fatalities. Generally they do not bite unless they are handled.
How do seahorses reproduce?
Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then releases fully formed, miniature seahorses into the water.
What is the biggest seahorse in the world?
Big-belly Seahorse
Big-belly Seahorse (up to 35 cm, 13.78 inches) The big-belly seahorse(hippocampus abdominalis)is the largest seahorse in the world and can grow to more than a foot in length.
Is there a complete genome of a seahorse?
Scientists dove into this question on Wednesday by publishing the first complete sequence of a seahorse genome.
What makes tiger tail seahorse different from other seahorses?
Venkatesh and his colleagues sequenced the genome of tiger tail seahorses (Hippocampus comes) and compared their traits to close relatives, like pipefish and seadragons. What they found explains many of the creature’s oddities. For instance, seahorses are missing “P/Q-rich SCPP” genes, which cause minerals to collect into teeth.
Why do seahorses not have pelvic fins?
Another example involves the seahorse’s lack of pelvic fins, which provides their armor-like appearance. Seahorses are missing the gene tbx4, which normally tells an embryo where to grow its hind limbs (or pelvic fins, in the case of fish).
Where do male seahorses hold their fertilized eggs?
Male seahorses hold fertilized eggs in a brood pouch until the hatchlings are born. The study found this brood pouch contains a large number of genes from a family known as astacin metalloproteases, which are responsible for embryo hatching.