Did you notice any interesting information on seahorses or pipefishes? Please let us know : bio.marine@wanadoo.fr
Seahorse survey in Grau du Roi (Southern France) 27/07/12
In partnership with Peau-Bleue association, The Seaquarium in Grau du Roi (Southern France) has engaged in a survey of the local short-snouted seahorse population. The goals are to better understand the ecology of this species, to describe its morphological variability, to estimate the population and try to monitor its temporal evolution. ...
Up to now, 30 observations were made: 28 short-snouted seahorses, 1 long-snouted seahorse, and 1 greater pipefish. For each observation, habitat features were recorded and photos were taken. You can find some of these records in the Hippo-ATLAS and in the Hippo-HABITAT section (Hippo-HABITAT / Last records) To know more about Seaquarium, click here (in French).
Skinny and tiny 23/04/12 During our last Fish Watch mission in Lembeh strait, North Sulawesi (see here) one of the Indonesian guides participating in our survey spotted a skinny juvenile pygmy pipe-horse (Kyonemichthys rumengani): it was no more than 1,5 cm long! Thanks Dimpy for this incredible finding...
Do seahorses blow the sand away to feed ? 09/03/2012 The photo below was sent by Michel Barrabés. It depicts a long-snouted seahorse from Arcachon Bay blowing water with its tube mouth to scatter the sand away (to see these photos, type Barrabes in the Keyword search). For the photographer the seahorse looks like trying to catch a prey hidden in the sand. If you ever witnessed such a behaviour in seahorses or pipefishes, please let us know ! You can either send your information with the Hippo-ATLAS form, or by e-mail.
Worm pipefish: new record in the Mediterranean!
01/11/2011
The worm pipefish also exists in the Mediterranean: our Hippo-ATLAS project received two photos of Nerophis lumbriciformis taken in Sausset-les-Pins and Sète (Southern France). These records confirm the 2002 record made by Patrick Louisy in Cap d'Agde (and mentionned in his book "Guide d'identification des poissons marins - Europe et Méditerranée").
A team of Peau-Bleue divers recently explored again the Cap d'Agde area, and found the species again! These new records can be seen here
In its edition issued september 8th, the newspaper "La Dépêche du Bassin" published a report on the survey made by the young scientist Damien Grima for the Arcachon Bay Marine Natural Park project. This work was run in partnership with our association Peau-Bleue.
The short-snouted seahorse was said to be present in the Thau Lagoon (although much less common than the long-snouted), but we lacked recent proofs. Until yesterday, when the photographer Hélène Caillaud made pictures of this species close to Sète (see below).
These photos can be seen in the short-snouted seahorse Hippo-ATLAS photo gallery.
Hippy hippo
25/06/2011
What is this? The back of a particularly "hairy" seahorse! This startling picture was sent by Elisabeth JUAN. See Short-snouted seahorse photo gallery.
Banning Commercial Seahorse Fishing in New York
15/06/2011
New York lawmakers have voted to ban the commercial netting of seahorses off Long Island. The ban was inspired by an environmental forum conducted by Senator Kenneth LaValle who sponsored the bill.
Patrick Ragot sent us this photo taken in Arcachon Bay. This short-snouted seahorse is covered with baby mussels, that probably attached there when they were larvae. Surprisingly, it didn't manage (or didn't try) to get rid of them. See Short-snouted seahorse photo gallery.
Hippo-THAU studies for aquaculture students
17/06/2011
On the 16th of June, 15 students from the Sète maritime school (Lycée de la mer Paul Bousquet) engaged in an underwater seahorse census in the Barrou Bay, Thau lagoon, in the south of France.
This results from a partnership between the Lycée de la mer and Peau-Bleue association that was initiated in 2006. Since then, every year, this Hippo-THAU survey is part of the students' diving training.
The 15 young divers made 22 twenty meter long transects (i.e. 880 square meters thoroughly explored), in which they found 2 seahorses. This gives a density estimate of 23 seahorses per hectare.
Hippo-THAU, 2005-2009 report
01/06/2011
The Hippo-THAU 2005-2009 report is now available.
This 5 year pilot survey involved a lot of people and energy around the Thau lagoon: schoolchildren and their teachers, divers, fishermen and shellfish farmers, associations and official local organisations all participated in this unique participatory science project.
Hippo-THAU was initiated by Peau-Bleue association, and is now managed by the CPIE Bassin de Thau.
Stuck seahorse
24/05/2011
We received from Dominique HORST two really surprising photos. This short-snouted seahorse seems to be completely stuck by egg ribbons laid by a squid! See Short-snouted seahorse photo gallery.
Seahorse survey in Arcachon Bay
22/04/2011
In relation with the Arcachon Bay Marine Natural Park project, the French Marine Protected Areas Agency wills to better know the seahorse populations that live in the area.
Peau-Bleue association supports this survey and its coordinator, Damien Grima. If you want to contribute, please contact him by e-mail, or by phone : +33 6 62 16 31 78.
NB Damien Grima's preliminary work ended by the end of May 2011. The next phase of this project may start in late 2011 or early 2012. Should you need information on this project, please contact Peau-Bleue. And of course, your photos and records are welcome in the Hippo-ATLAS.
To watch the Arcachon seahorse photo gallery, click here.
Hippo-THAU : Spring is there
02/04/2011
13 volunteers participated in the first dive of our Spring seahorse survey in the Thau Lagoon (South of France). Before the 9th of May, 40 seahorse survey transects have to be carried out in each of the three sites regularly surveyed by the Hippo-THAU team since 2009.
Many thanks to all the volunteers whose commitment and energy are essential to gather new information on these still poorly known animals.
