Presence of the Seahorse Hippocampus reidi (Pisces: Syngnathidae) In Diet of Marine Fish in Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Seahorses (Syngnathidae: Hippocampus) are globally endangered species [1], where they are targets of the trade for ornamental fish, traditional medicine, handicrafts, charms and others [2]. Of course, they are prey for several animals, including other fish, where they are regular or occasional food for some species, which can be verified by the analysis of stomach contents [3,4]. Seahorses compose the bycatch of fisheries with gillnets and mainly trawls but they can be caught indirectly when they are eaten by other fish that are targets of the most varied fishing gear [5-8]. Of the various methods of fishing with hooks, mode “pargueira” is used to catch bottom fishes, which live on rocky, gravel or coral substrates, such as grouper (Epinephelinae), while mode “corrico” is done with baited fishing lines in a moving boat and is intended for the capture of sea bass (Centropomidae) and mackerel (Scombridae), among others [9,10]. We report here, these two types of fishing, whose target fish had ingested seahorses.