importance of seahorses and pipefishes in the diet of marine animals

A review of 135 accounts of predation on seahorses and pipefishes identified 82 predator species, with nine species of seahorses and 25 of pipefishes recorded as prey. These cryptic fishes were generally depredated in low numbers. Where syngnathids formed a high proportion of predator diets, predati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Reviews in fish biology and fisheries 2011-06, Vol.21 (2), p.205-223
Main Authors: Kleiber, D, Blight, L. K, Caldwell, I. R, Vincent, A. C. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Aquatic birds
Aquatic reptiles
Behavior
Biology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
breeding season
Breeding seasons
die-off
Diet
Fish
Fisheries
Food
Food chains
foraging
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Habitats
invertebrates
juveniles
Life Sciences
Marine
Marine biology
Marine conservation
Marine mammals
Morphology
Population
Predation
Predators
Prey
Reviews
sea turtles
seabirds
Studies
Swimming
Vegetation
Zoology
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Summary:A review of 135 accounts of predation on seahorses and pipefishes identified 82 predator species, with nine species of seahorses and 25 of pipefishes recorded as prey. These cryptic fishes were generally depredated in low numbers. Where syngnathids formed a high proportion of predator diets, predation occurred on (1) a single abundant species during a population boom or large die-off, (2) concentrations of individuals utilising floating marine vegetation, or (3) juveniles when abundant during the breeding season. Predation coinciding with high syngnathid densities suggests their predators are foraging opportunistically rather than targeting syngnathids as prey. Invertebrates, fishes, sea turtles, waterbirds and marine mammals were all syngnathid predators: these included taxa that do not frequent the demersal habitat generally occupied by seahorses and pipefishes. Thus, seahorses and pipefishes may be moving in the open ocean more than suspected, perhaps using floating mats of marine vegetation. If so, this behaviour could act as a hitherto unknown vector for syngnathid movement and dispersal. Information on syngnathid abundance in predator diet (measured as percent number, volume, or mass) was available in 45 reviewed accounts; in 27% (n = 12) of these studies seahorses or pipefishes comprised ≥20% of predator diet (range 0.005-100%). Frequency of occurrence (percent stomachs, seabird bill-loads, or regurgitations in which a prey item occurred) was provided in 39 accounts, with 15% (n = 6) of these recording a frequency of ≥20% (range 0.003-65%).
ISSN:0960-3166
1573-5184
DOI:10.1007/s11160-010-9167-5