Open AccessUnusual record of a multiple predation of the Patagonian seahorse Hippocampus patagonicus by the Narrownose smooth-hound Mustelus schmitti in Argentine coastal waters
Author(s) -
Mauro Belleggia,
Maria Gabriela Pujol,
María Lourdes Estalles,
Daniel E. Figueroa,
Diego Luzzatto
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
marine and fishery sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2683-7595
pISSN - 2683-7951
DOI - 10.47193/mafis.3422021010604
Subject(s) - seahorse , predation , biology , fishery , zoology , population , ecology , demography , sociology
Seahorses (Genus Hippocampus) are rarely reported as prey items. Their low population numbers, their ability to blend with the environment and their low palatability are the features making them an unsuitable option for predators. Five individuals of the Patagonian seahorse Hippocampus patagonicus were found in the stomach of a single narrownose smooth-hound shark Mustelus schmitti from a sample of 959 stomachs analyzed. This rare record in a single stomach out of hundreds analyzed suggests that these individuals might have clustered in a group which was detected by the opportunistic M. schmitti.