Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Movement, Home Range and Site Fidelity of the Weedy Seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Teleostei: Syngnathidae)

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We measured for the first time movement, home range and site fidelity of the protected and endemic Australian fish weedy seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. Ninety-two individuals were identified using visual implant fluorescent elastomer and studied over a one-year period. Identified animals remained at the same site over the year within limited home ranges. These home ranges and the movement patterns recorded were independent of sex although movement to shallow sheltered waters to hatch the young was observed at the end of the breeding season for some pregnant males. The site fidelity and restricted home range of the weedy seadragon, as well as the reproduction-related movement have implications for effective management of this protected species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bayer, R.D. 1980. Size, seasonality, and sex ratios of the bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus) in Oregon. Northwest Sci. 54: 161-167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beukers, J.S., G.P. Jones & R.M. Buckley. 1995. Use of implant microtags for studies of populations of small reef fish. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 125: 61-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berglund, A. & G. Rosenqvist. 1993. Selective males and ardent females in pipefishes. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 32: 331-336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, R.M., A.J. Melville & J.K.Keesing. 2002a. Abundance, movement and individual identification of leafy seadragons, Phycodurus eques (Pisces: Syngnathidae). Mar. Freshw. Res. 53: 777-780.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, R.M., A.J. Melville & K.M. Preston. 2002b. Patterns of movement and habitat use by leafy seadragons tracked ultrasonically. J. Fish. Biol. 61: 684-695.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgar, G.J. 2000. Australian Marine Life. The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters. Reed New Holland. 425 pp.

  • Gronell, A.M. 1984. Courtship, spawning and social organization of the pipefish, Corythoichthys intestinalis (Pisces: Syngnathidae) with notes on two congeneric species. Z. Tierpsychol. 65: 1-24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herald, E.S. 1959. From pipefish to seahorse-a study of phylogenetic relationships. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 29: 465-473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, R.K. & J.D. Koehn. 1985. Population dynamics and feeding ecology of pipefish (Syngnathidae) associated with eelgrass beds of Western Port, Victoria. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 36: 361-70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchins, B.S. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Swainston Publishing, Perth. 95 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A.G. & J.C. Avise. 2001. Mating systems and sexual selection in male-pregnant pipefish and seahorses: Insights from microsatellite-based studies of maternity. Amer. Genetic Assoc. 92: 150-158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuiter, R.H. 1987. Note sur les soins parentaux, l'eclosion et l'elevage des Dragons de mer (Syngnathidae). Rev. Franc. Aquar. 14: 113-122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Seahorses, Pipefish & Their Relatives. England: TMC publications. 79 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuiter, R.H. 2001. Revision of the Australian seahorses of the genus Hippocampus (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae) with descriptions of nine newspecies. Rec. Aust. Mus. 53: 293-340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kvarnemo, C., G.I. Moore, A.G. Jones, W.S. Nelson & J.C.Avise. 2000. Monogamous pair bonds and mate switching in theWestern Australian seahorse Hippocampus subelongatus. J. Evol. Biol. 13: 882-888.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazzari, M. A. & K.W. Able. 1990. Northern pipefish, Syngnathus fuscus, occurrences over the Mid-Atlantic Bight continental shelf: Evidence of seasonal migration. Environ. Biol. Fish. 27: 177-185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lourie, S.A., J.C. Pritchard, S.P. Casey, S.K. Truong, H.J. Hall, & A.C.J. Vincent. 1999. The taxonomy of Vietnam's exploited seahorses (family Syngnathidae). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 66: 231-256

    Google Scholar 

  • Masonjones, H.D. & S.M. Lewis. 1996. Courtship behaviour in thedwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae. Copeia 3: 634-640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, R.I.G. & D.S. Paveley. 1996. A simple batch mark for fish studies using injected elastomer. Aqua. Res. 27: 631-633.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, E.M. & L.A. Vollestad. 2001. An evaluation of Visible Implant Elastomer for marking age-0 brown trout. N. Amer. J. Fish. Manag. 21: 967-970.

    Google Scholar 

  • Payne, M.F. & R.J. Rippingale. 2000. Rearing West Australian seahorse, Hippocampus subelongatus, juveniles on copepod nauplii and enriched Artemia. Aquaculture 188: 353-361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vincent, A.C.J. & L.M. Sadler. 1995. Faithful pair bonds in wild seahorses, Hippocampus whitei. Anim. Behav. 50: 1557-1569.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vincent, A.C.J., A. Berglund & I. Ahnesjo. 1995. Reproductive ecology of five pipefish species in one eelgrass meadow. Environ. Biol. Fish. 44: 347-361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woods, C.M.C. 2000. Improving Initial survival in cultured seahorses, Hippocampus abdominalis Leeson, 1827 (Teleostei: Syngnathidae). Aquaculture 190: 377-388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woods, C.M.C. & K.M. Martin-Smith (in press). Visible implant fluorescent elastomer tagging of the big-bellied seahorse, Hippocampus abdominalis. Fisheries Research.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Biology (Invertebrates), Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 645 Diagonal Ave, Barcelona, 08028, Spain

    Jaime Sanchez-Camara

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Westbourne Street, Gore Hill, NSW, 2065, Australia

    David J. Booth

Authors
  1. Jaime Sanchez-Camara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David J. Booth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sanchez-Camara, J., Booth, D.J. Movement, Home Range and Site Fidelity of the Weedy Seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Teleostei: Syngnathidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 70, 31–41 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EBFI.0000022850.33643.e3

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EBFI.0000022850.33643.e3

Search

Navigation