Effect of starvation on survival and biochemical profile of newborn juvenile lined seahorses,Hippocampus erectus(Perry, 1810)

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of starvation on survival and nutritional status of newborn juveniles H. erectus (<10 days) to optimize rearing protocols, thereby helping to reduce wildlife exploitation. Maximum starvation time (MST) was estimated through the survival of juveniles continuously starved from birth. Resistance to starvation and the effect of food re‐introduction after 1, 2, 4 and 6 days of starvation on survival and metabolite concentrations (total proteins, total lipids, acylglycerides, cholesterol, glucose) were also determined. Survival amongst continuously starved animals decreased from 6.6 ± 0.5 to 0% from days 9 to 10 of starvation. Seahorses under different starvation–refeeding treatments all had 100% survival up to day 5 of experiments. After 10 days, however, a 4‐day starvation period followed by refeeding showed negative effects with <50% survival. During continuous starvation, lipids were the first energy reserve used to maintain basal metabolism, followed by proteins. Except for cholesterol, all metabolite concentrations differed between continuous starvations and feeding. Despite high seahorse survival after 5 days in the absence of food, the recovery of the metabolic status is possible after a starvation period of no more than 2 days, since irreversible physiological changes compromising the ultimate survival of the organisms take place after this time.

Marine amphipods (Parhyale hawaiensis) as an alternative feed for the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus, Perri 1810): nutritional value and feeding trial

“…Juvenile fish were fed three times a day (09:00 h, 14:00 h, 18:00 h) with live and frozen Artemia enriched with Super SelcoÒ (INVE Aquaculture, Dendermonde, Belgium). At 50 mm standard length, fish were weaned from Artemia to frozen amphipods and then fed with a mix of the two foods, according to previous findings and culture recommendations (Lin et al, 2009;Vargas-Abúndez, Simões & Mascaró, 2018;Del Vecchio et al, 2019). Feces and uneaten food were siphoned out after feeding.…”

“…It is well documented that Artemia is not an adequate prey for many seahorse species due to nutritional deficiencies, poor digestibility and absorption (Payne & Rippingale, 2000;Blanco & Planas, 2015;Randazzo et al, 2018). Despite its limitations, Artemia is largely used given its extensive availability (Sorgeloos, Dhert & Candreva, 2001;Bengtson, 2003;Olivotto et al, 2008;Del Vecchio et al, 2019;Southgate, 2019;Planas et al, 2020).…”

Bioeconomics of juvenile seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) culture: Optimal harvest time

“…In general, most of the studies on seahorses have been focused on assessing the physiological responses of these organisms, taking into account different indicators (temperature, diet types, behavior, and coloration) that determine their growth and survival (Aurélio et al, 2013;DelVecchio et al, 2019;Lin et al, 2006Lin et al, , 2009Mascaró et al, 2016Mascaró et al, , 2019Wong & Benzie, 2003). There are, however, few studies related to the bioeconomics of the culture of marine ornamental species in captivity, with even fewer studies being to seahorse species (Carvalho et al, 2019;Fonseca et al, 2015).…”

The Early Allometric Growth and Osteological Ontogeny of Pot-Bellied Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis, L. 1827) under Mass-Scale Captive Breeding Conditions in North China

“…However, as of now, feed remains a critical factor limiting seahorse survival rates. The timing [17][18][19], type [20][21][22], size, and density [23] of feed are crucial for the growth of juvenile seahorses, and there is currently a lack of precise feeding strategies for juvenile seahorses.…”