The morphological development and allometric growth patterns in the juvenile spotted seahorse Hippocampus kuda were studied under hatchery rearing conditions. Newborn spotted seahorses [mean AE S.D. standard length (L S ) 9Á33 AE 0Á79 mm] were raised till the age of 124 days (119Á35 AE 6Á04 mm). Growth was characterized by three stages with two inflexion points occurring at day 21 and 76. The mean growth rates in the first, second and third stages were 0Á68, 1Á16 and 0Á71 mm day À1 , respectively. The growth rate was most rapid in the second stage and was probably influenced by a behavioural shift from pelagic to benthic form. The mass (M) and L S relationship was exponential (M ¼ 7Á14 Â 10 À6 L S 2Á76 ), but the slope, b ¼ 2Á76, reflected negative allometric growth. Sexes could be distinguished at c. 110 days, and the sex ratio was unbiased. The L S in males and females did not differ significantly. Morphological stageing series is proposed, which divides H. kuda juvenile development into eight stages based on the development of coronet, cheek and eye spines, keel and pigmentation. The morphometric ratios for all the body parts, except trunk length, showed considerable changes at a transition point occurring at c. 25 mm L S . The high proportional growth in head length, head depth, pectoral fin base length, dorsal fin base length, snout length, snout depth and eye diameter at the initial stages, and the abrupt increase in tail length only after the first 2 weeks, possibly reflect development priorities during early development where important organs are being developed first for the enhancement of juvenile survival.

Satisfying nutrient requirement of corals is still a major constraint for maintaining corals in marine aquariums. Corals are polytrophic in nature. Heterotrophic feeding on zooplankton is one of the corals' strategies to overcome nutrient deficiency. Artemia salina nauplii are commonly used as biocarriers for many fish larvae in aquaculture and can also serve as a biocarrier for coral in aquariums, provided coral acceptability, optimal feeding rate, and digestibility of the nauplii are well understood. Feeding rate and digestibility of coral fed on A. salina nauplii at 100, 2,000, 4,000, 6,000, and 10,000 ind. l -1 under light and dark conditions was assessed in this study. The maximum feeding rates of Galaxea fascicularis under light and dark conditions was 113.6 ind. polyp -1 h -1 and 76.9 ind. polyp -1 h -1 , respectively. The daily feeding rates of G. fascicularis varies and depends on nauplii density. Light plays an important role in coral feeding. Nevertheless, the quantity of A. salina nauplii consumed by the coral under light and dark conditions was not significantly different (P [ 0.05). A. salina nauplii are well accepted by G. fascicularis. Complete nauplii digestion was observed after 180 min. Digestibility of A. salina nauplii by G. fascicularis was positively correlated with digestion time.

Four green turtle females were tracked by satellite during their post-reproductive migration in the South China Sea. Three of them reached their feeding grounds 923-1551 km distant. During nesting activity, a female was displaced twice, and her return trips to the nesting beach from ll and 284 km were tracked by a direction-recording data-logger and by satellite, respectively. Part of the journeys occurred coastwise, indicating that leading geographical features had been utilised. The straightness of the turtles' tracks in open seas, both over shallow and deep waters, and their ability to pinpoint distant targets and home after displacement off their usual routes, provides circumstantial evidence for a true navigation mechanism.

Four species of sea horses (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus) were found in Peninsular Malaysia during a survey conducted between April and August 2001. These were Hippocampus trimaculatus, H. spinosissimus, H. kuda and H. kelloggi. All four species were found in the Straits of Malacca; two species (H. trimaculatus and H. spinosissimus) in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in the South China Sea; and three species: H. trimaculatus, H. spinosissimus and H. kuda in the south coast, Straits of Johor. There were habitat and depth separations by species. Hippocampus trimaculatus, which was found throughout the coastal waters of the Peninsular, were reported to inhabit chiefly among gorgonians at approximately 20–40 m depth. The habitat and depth in H. spinosissimus were rather similar to that of H. trimaculatus; but the former species was less widespread in the west coast. Hippocampus kuda was confined to shallow water between 1 to 3 m, and was found in seaweeds and sea grass meadows in a few estuaries; whereas H. kelloggi inhabited gorgonians and sea whips in deep-water below 65 m. Mean standard lengths are given. No sexual size dimorphism was detected in any of the species.